Ocarina of Time
by Dark-Fire27
Summary: Within the land of Hyrule, Link, an average ten year old sets out on a journey. He'll encounter many hardships, but he will also have memorial moments as well on the journey. First attempt at a novelization. LinkXMalon rated for violence/slight swearing.
1. The Kokiri Forest

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games. I know that this was done before, but I decided that I'd give it a shot. This was one of my favorites when I was younger, so please be nice. I also decided to add a few of my own little twists so, ya.

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Prologue**

_A long time ago, in the ancient land known as Hyrule, within the dense forest, laid a race known only as the Kokiri. The Kokiri were a race who remained hidden to the world, protected by the spirit of the Great Deku Tree. If a Kokiri were to leave the forest, he or she would most likely die. Unlike the other races of Hyrule, the Kokiri consisted of only children, each on watched over by his of her guardian fairy._

_However, there was one boy who didn't have a fairy of his own. His name was Link, and he didn't suspect the journey that will lie ahead of him…_

**Chapter 1**: The Kokiri Forest

The wind blew within the Kokiri Forest, as the sun began to rise from the east. An early morning dawned down upon the Kokiri, and it looked as though it would be clear of rain, the lack of clouds in the sky resembled this. As the sun began to rise from the horizon, each Kokiri came out from their respective houses for the new day. That is, save for one boy.

Within the only tree house in the forest, lay a boy in bed who, apparently was still sleeping. He wore mainly green, his blonde hair that wasn't covered by his matching green hat scattered across his head area. By the ways he quivers in his sleep though, you'd probably start to think that this boy is having a nightmare. Indeed, that is what he sees, and what lies outside the forest.

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_Dream_

The boy sees himself standing outside a massive wall, in front of a large decending bridge. Beside him, he sees a small, glowing character with wings, supposedly a fairy. He hears a strange noise, as if it were the sound of a horse galloping.

He looks out toward the town, taking notice of a white horse running towards him. As it gallops by, he looks at the young girl mounted on it, covered by a more, elderly woman. As he watched them ride by, he hears another horse approach from behind him.

The boy turned around quickly and, mounted on a black horse, he saw a man, dark and sinister. Red hair and wearing black armor, the man looked in the direction of where the white horse rode off to. Soon, the dark eyes turned their attention towards the boy and, in an instant; the dark man raised one of his hands towards the boy.

_End of Dream_

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"Hello, Link! Wake up!" A voice, most likely a female's called above the boy, "The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you. Link, get up!" Either he was just lazy, or he was having a bad enough day, he turned over as if he never heard the voice.

"Hey! C'mon!" The voice yelled, rather impatient, "Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?" it added, this time more annoyed. This time, though, Link raised himself up, yawning as he does so.

"Can't a guy get some sleep around here…?" Link responded, rather lazily. He looked around and, practically the last thing he noticed was a fairy floating before him. He wasn't too shocked though, as he's seen them a lot for his entire life. He let out another groan as he watched the fairy float over to his face. From what he can see through the bluish glow was a girl.

"I was told to get you from the Great Deku Tree, so that would include waking you up if you were asleep." The fairy said, shrugging, "Anyways, my name is Navi and The Great Deku Tree told me to bring you to him. But, I think I would recommend that you should equip yourself before we get going…" She said, as Link looked at her with some aw.

"But with what, might I ask? The only thing I have is this slingshot that I made with my own hands. (1)" Link said, holding up a fairly decently made slingshot, "If its help that you want, go ask Mido or something. He's the one who's got- Ouch!" Link didn't finish when Navi smacked him across the cheek.

"The Great Deku Tree didn't ask for Mido. He asked for you, and it's you who he's getting, alright?" Navi said as Link rubbed his sore cheek, nodding shortly after in defeat, "Oh, and by the way, I saw one of you friends show up. I think her name was, Saria, right?" the fairy added, as Link rushed out past Navi.

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Link looked down from his ladder and, saw a girl with green hair that matched what she wore. She waved as her green eyes looked up at him, "Good morning, Link!" she greeted, smiling afterwards. Link smiled back as Navi caught up to him. Link climbed down the ladder and walked up to the girl, smiling.

"Good morning to you as well Saria! If you're wondering who this is, her name is Navi." Link spoke, as he gestured towards Navi. Saria smiled at him, giggling a bit to herself.

"So, does this mean you have your own guardian fairy, Link?" She asked, as her own fairy flew up to Navi. Like Navi, this fairy gave off a glow, but this was more pinkish. As Link could remember, the name of Saria's fairy was Alicia (2), and she had an admiration to the color pink.

Link shook his head before answering, "Well, Navi didn't exactly put it that way. She only came to get me to meet with the Great Deku Tree, according to her, anyways." When he finished, Saria looked at him with a smile.

"Really? So you're going to see the Great Deku Tree, then? I must be an honor to see him. It wasn't since a few days ago when that man showed up on a black horse. But before he arrived, any could've gone to see the guardian to us Kokiri." Saria said, as Alicia began to whisper in her ear.

Link couldn't hear what was going on, but he knew it wasn't any of his business. Soon, the conversation between them ended as Saria said, "Okay, go on and see the Great Deku Tree. I'll wait here, if that's alright?" She tilted her head to the left slightly as she said this.

Link couldn't help but blush a bit, before replying, "Well, if you would prefer, anyways, and if Navi will allow it…" Link glared at Navi before returning his attention back to his best friend, "…that if you'd like to come along…" Link couldn't finish as he noticed that, either it was the sun or she was just really happy, Saria's green eyes sparkled more than normal.

"W-would you really do that Link?" She asked, as Link nodded in agreement. Saria giggled again, before answering, "Of course I would Link." Link could've sworn he heard growling come from Navi, but ignored it. Soon the little fairy flew between the two, glowing slightly yellow.

"Link, either I didn't tell you before, or you're just plain idiotic, the Great Deku Tree only wants to see you." Navi growled, glaring at Link. Link just wanted her to shut up, but instead didn't take it seriously.

"Fine, if she can't go, I won't either…" Link began, as Saria, Alicia and Navi received a shocked look. Navi flew up closer to him and gave him another glare.

"You can't be serious, can you?" She said, while Link just nodded, grinning slightly. Navi grumbled a bit, before saying, "Fine, but if anything happens to her, ANYTHING at all, it's your fault for being stubborn, alright?" She said, as she flew towards the path.

Link smiled and looked at Saria, who returned his smile. They followed Navi towards their next destination, the Great Deku Tree. They said hello to the other Kokiri as they walked by, some even surprised that there was a fairy with Link. Link smiled at the newfound attention he didn't receive before, and welcomed it with open doors.

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Standing before the path towards the Great Deku Tree stood, in green clothing, the boss of the Kokiri, was Mido. Freckles across his face followed by brown eyes, as well as the Kokiri Sword at his side, (3) looked at the pair. He clearly admired Saria, but he could care less what could happen to Link.

"Hey, Saria, why do you even hang out with, "Mr. No Fairy"…" Mido stopped as he noticed Navi flying beside Link, "Saria, if this is some kind of joke, please end it immediately, as it's not funny to get me to believe that there's a fairy with Link." He asked, a bit lazily. Saria however, shook her head.

"It's no joke Mido, a fairy finally did come to Link. And he's been told that he has to go see the Great Deku Tree." Saria told the boss of the Kokiri, and Mido, almost instantly became shocked. But he shook his head in disbelief soon after.

"I don't believe that. Besides, even if it were true, he's not even properly equipped to see the Great Deku Tree." Mido said, glaring at Link, "He should at least equip both a sword and a shield before he can pass. But, as far as I can tell, that's never gonna happen, because I have the only sword in the whole forest, plus the shield will cost him. But, if he does happen to get that shield, I MIGHT possibly give him the sword. I don't even use it much, anyways…" he added, shrugging.

Saria spoke shortly after, "Link, could you wait here for a minute? I'll be right back…" and before either Link or Mido knew it, she was off, followed by Alicia. Mido glared at Link, arms across his torso.

"Shoot, how did you become the favorite of both Saria and the Great Deku Tree anyways, huh?" Link heard Mido grumble after a short while, "Seriously though, you shouldn't even be here in the forest. You should've been better off outside the forest…" Link growled, but knew that if he did anything, all the chances of him going to see the Great Deku Tree will be lost.

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Soon after, Saria arrived; carrying what looked like a wooden shield with the Kokiri symbol it. "Will this do, Mido?" She asked, as Mido looked shockingly at the shield she brought. He closed his eyes and grumbled before nodding in acceptance. Saria smiled as she handed the shield to Link (4), while he just looked at her.

"Are you sure Saria? I mean, you just spent forty rupees on a shield. I just don't think it's fair to put you through that…" Link said, blushing. Saria smiled, and Link knew what that possibly meant. 'Don't worry about it.' is what he thought she would say. He accepted the shield and, felt a nudge from Mido. He turned around and saw the boss of the Kokiri holding out the Kokiri's most sacred treasure (5).

"Take it, and go talk to the Great Deku Tree already…" Mido said, as Link took the blade and placed it on his back. He did the same with the shield afterwards, thanking Mido before heading down the path to the Great Deku Tree, followed by Saria shortly after.

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Author's notes: I took some ideas from not only the game, but also from the manga of Ocarina of Time. Also, like I mentioned from the beginning, I said that I'd put in a few of my own twists, so please no yelling.

(1): In the manga, Link does start off with a slingshot. He mainly uses it to show off, but not for combat.

(2): I just made up a name for Saria's fairy, mainly because I was bored.

(3): In the manga, Mido does carry the Kokiri Sword, mainly because he is the boss of the Kokiri and, ya.

(4): This, I didn't really intend to put down, but I'm sure you know the saying, "Friends look out for each other", right?

(5): In the manga, Mido does give the sword to Link, but after the events within the Deku Tree.

Anyways, please R&R, heck; I'd even accept flamers as well if I have to.


	2. The Great Deku Tree

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games. I know that this was done before, but I decided that I'd give it a shot. This was one of my favorites when I was younger, so please be nice. I also decided to add a few of my own little twists so, ya.

_Reviews: _Linn – Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like it. ^-^

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

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**Chapter 2: **The Great Deku Tree

After traveling the short ways down the path, Navi flew ahead of both Link and Saria towards to what appeared to be an ancient tree, about one-hundred feet tall in height. Link watched as the fairy flew towards the forest's spirit and guardian, the Great Deku Tree. Old, ancient, but also very wise, Link knew about it since birth. It was this very tree who protected this forest from dark magic and unwanted guests.

"Great Deku Tree, I'm back." Navi spoke, about midway between both Link and the Deku Tree. Link knew that the Deku tree didn't speak normally with a mouth, but instead, telepathically. The way he could hear the Deku Tree would sound like normal speech.

"Ah. Welcome Link, Saria, to my peaceful grove. Link, Listen To what I, the Great Deku Tree, must tell you." The guardian of the forest spoke, quite calmly, "Thy slumber these past few moons must have been restless. The boundaries between the forest and the outside world have been broken by a strange man of dark magic (1). This penetration has caused many of the Kokiri to have many sleepless nights."

Link nodded, for now he knew that he wasn't the only one experienced these nightmares. He then saw the two faces that were in his dream from earlier; the girl on the white horse, and the dark man mounted on his black horse. '_Could it have been that same man who came to the forest a few days ago?_' Link thought, his eyes closed.

"Clearly, thou hast sensed it. Link, the time has come to test thy courage, for I have been cursed. Do you, Link, have enough courage to destroy the curse?" The Great Deku Tree asked, his expression remaining the same since the pair arrived. Saria looked at Link with a bit of a worried expression.

Link opened his mouth and said, "Yes, Great Deku Tree…" Saria looked at him, her expression remaining the same. Link knew that he was the only one who could do this, besides Mido anyways. But, it was Mido who said that he didn't really have much use for the Kokiri Sword anyways, so that just left Link to do this task.

"…Very well." The Great Deku Tree spoke, as his mouth opened, "Enter, brave Link, and thou too, Navi. Link, whenever you hear Navi explain something, listen well to her words of wisdom…" Link looked at Saria, smiling slightly.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it, okay?" he said, causing a smile to appear on Saria's face. He saw her walk down the path that led to the tiny village, but stopped before reaching a corner. She turned around and looked at Link.

"Please come back…" she said before she carried on down the path. Link's smile disappeared and, bravely, turned and ran towards the opening in the Deku Tree, followed by Navi…

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As Link stepped inside the dark, hollow inside of the tree, he was surprised at how massive the inside was. Walking a short ways, he saw Navi fly a short ways, hovering above some sort of web.

"Hey, come here Link." Navi said and, like he was doing in the first place, stepped onto the web. It shook quite a bit when his weight was placed down on it, but it still remained intact. Link looked down through the web, seeing how high he was from the lower floor, but couldn't even see the bottom. Link had a good intention that the web would break from either a large force of gravity, or a massive amount of weight.

A growl came from behind Link, and when he turned around, he saw some sort of living plant which, surprisingly to Link, had a visible mouth. A green, slime-like substance was dripping from the mouth in decent quantities, most likely the thing's saliva (2). Link drew the Kokiri Sword and pointed it at the creature, while the thing's mouth continued to snap rapidly.

"That, Link, is a Deku Baba, and frankly, it would appear as though it hasn't eaten in days." Navi explained, glowing slightly yellow, "The best way to defeat it is to wait until it lunges at you, and then strike it with your sword. After that, it should stiffen, and that is when you cut it from the base."

Link waited as the thing lunged at him, which didn't take too long. The very moment it stopped snapping its mouth at him; Link swung the sword at it, striking the head. The Deku Baba let out a squeak-like sound, stiffening vertically, just like Navi explained. Link didn't need to be told twice and, instinctively, cut the vine-like thing that was attached from the base to head, severing it in two pieces.

Link smiled as he shook the blade of the slime substance before sheathing it, as he took note of a ladder not too far away. He walked over and, instinctively climbed it. The ladder was only a good twenty-five feet high, so it didn't take long to scale for Link. He continued along, leaping over two short, three foot long gaps. He stopped just before a wall that was covered in vines, and saw a few slightly over-sized spiders crawling along them, with what looked like skulls on their back.

"Those are Skullwallutas, and if you approach them, they will harm you. Try to keep your distance and take them out from a range." Navi explained and, immediately, Link grabbed his slingshot and took aim with a Deku seed. He released the pouch and the seed had a direct hit on the first Skullwalluta. The spider fell and tensed up as it hit the ground, dying almost immediately.

Link repeated this with the other two that remained, but missed twice out of the whole process. He was good with a slingshot, but he hasn't yet mastered it. He placed the slingshot in his belt as he climbed up the vine wall, as Navi told him that it was possibly climbable. After navigating the thirty feet upwards, he got off and stepped on a wooden path.

He knew that he had to be careful as the surface didn't sound trusting, but continued on a short ways. On the corner of his eye though, as he neared a hole between spider webs, a much larger version of a Skullwalluta appeared, hanging from a strand of web.

"Skulltula, a much similar creature to its smaller counter-part, except its shell gives it a much better protection. The body on it though is incredibly sensitive, so even a swipe from a sword could cause great harm to it." Navi explained, as the spider turned around constantly, as if it were taunting Link.

Link drew the Kokiri Sword again and, as the Skulltula's sensitive body was directed at him, he swung the rather short blade upon it. A light, yellow-green liquid gushed out from the small wound the Kokiri Sword inflicted, most likely the spider's blood. The Skulltula span and rose quite quickly after the sudden strike on it, but soon returned to its position, gazing on Link. After letting it half spin, Link swung the sword at the uncovered body. The Skulltula let out a strange sound, much like a gurgle as it fell and hit the wooden plank.

Link pushed the dead carcass of the Skulltula towards and off the edge of the walkway. After the corpse dropped, Link watched as it fell towards the web, tearing the seams the instant it struck it. Link scratched the back of his head, but soon he saw a shadow appear at the opening.

"Hey, where the heck are you Link?! Get your ass over here now! (3)" a familiar voice came from the entrance. Soon, the figure of Mido appeared, walking in towards the hole.

"Why the heck is he here? Even he should know that he wasn't supposed to enter, let alone see, the Deku Tree. Who does he think he is?" Link whispered to Navi, who flew not too far away from him. Soon enough, before Link could yell to warn Mido, the boss of the Kokiri already fell into the hole leading to what appeared to be nothing-ness. Mido's fairy, Butch(4) just remained looking down at the hole.

Link backtracked the way he came, as it took a while before he reached the bottom. Butch flew over to him, glowing a tad bit redder than normal, "Took you freakin' long enough! While you were elsewhere around here, Mido wasn't paying attention and fell into this hole." Butch yelled, although to Link, it just sounded like normal talking, "Now, you're going to help me find him, and you too… ummm, what's your name again?" Butch said, forgetting Navi's name.

"It's Navi, Butch, and this time; could you at least remember it?" Navi asked, Butch's glow returning to his original shade of red. Butch just shrugged as Link started to descend the vines that led downwards into the dark abyss, followed by both Navi and Butch.

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After what seemed like twenty minutes or so, Link finally felt the ground below his feet again, but he couldn't see ten feet ahead of him down here. At least the two fairies let off a bit of a glow so he can see further ahead, as well as that weird eye thing on the ceiling. 'Wait, what the heck is an eye thing doing down here…?' Link couldn't finish as he focused on the eye, while the eye just rolled at him.

For some strange reason, the eye was also moving towards him across the ceiling, but Link realized that it just wasn't just an eye. There was also a crunching sound as well, as if it was snapping wood. Soon, as the thing hit the ground, there was enough light for Link to see the full fledged, one-eyed creature.

Standing at least fifteen feet tall and twenty-five feet wide, with four or six legs, was what Link thought as Ghoma, the queen of spiders. Link knew that something was wrong immediately, as some dark being rested just above Ghoma's eye, (5). The eye itself was flashing many colors at once, as Ghoma let off a screech-like sound.

"Shall I curse you as well?!" the queen of spiders spoke (6), as Link unsheathed his sword. Link also took note that Mido rested in the corner, unconscious on a web. Butch immediately headed off towards Mido, as Navi flew right beside Link.

"Got any information this time, Navi?" Link asked, as he dodged a strike from Ghoma. Navi was glowing yellow, but didn't say anything. Ghoma attempted another attack, which Link was barely able to dodge. The leg which the queen of spiders attempted to harm Link was stuck within the soft soiled ground. Link ran over and attempted to strike the dark thing on Ghoma's head, but was knocked away by another one of her legs.

Link quickly recovered from the blow and was standing, just as Ghoma got her leg free. 'No matter what I do, I can't get too close to her without getting hit by her legs. Maybe… Of course!' Link hunched as he sheathed the Kokiri sword and pulled out his slingshot, Ghoma being only five feet away. Suddenly, without warning, her eye began to glow red, as her leg came down towards Link. He was able to dodge the strike, as he took a seed out and aimed at her eye. He released the pouch after pulling it back and, the seed landed a direct hit.

Ghoma let out a screech, lost her balance and fell to the ground, stunned. As her eye flashed many more brilliant colors, Link unsheathed the sword once again as he rushed towards Ghoma's head and swung his sword at the dark creature upon it, grey blood gushing from its new wound. The dark creature let out a gurgle-like noise as it fell off of Ghoma and hit the ground, dead.

Link stepped away as Ghoma returned to her senses, the dark creature disappearing into nothing-ness. Ghoma was confused as she crawled up the wall and onto the ceiling, her eye closing as she got a good grip upon it. Link nodded as he rushed towards Butch and Mido, who was still on the web, but this time, he was awake.

"Took you long enough, asshole! Now can you get me out of this stupid web!?" Mido yelled, as Link nodded. Link swiped his sword across the thin web, as Mido landed face-first into the ground. Navi flew towards him, glowing slightly yellow as she did so. Link headed over to where the dark being died, but in its place was a portal of some sorts.

"Look, can't we chit-chat after all of this is over? Let's just get out of here before the light dims, anyways…" Link said, as Mido ran towards the portal and disappeared after a while he stepped on it, Butch as well. Link followed after Mido with Navi, as everything in his vision turned white the moment he stepped on the portal…

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Author's notes: I seriously tried my best to describe the fights as much as I could, honestly. I'm not really great at making fight scenes (check out my other fanfics to understand why) so I just hope that this fan-fiction's fight scenes are at least a satisfactory result.

(1): In the manga, Saria, as well as the Deku Tree saw that man enter the forest. However, she didn't see him head down the path towards the Great Deku Tree.

(2): A Twilight Princess addition, as the Deku Babas in that game has the same details.

(3): In the manga, Mido has a bad mouth, especially towards Link. Then again, the reason he's like this is because Link is friends with Saria, something he doesn't like.

(4): Again, like Saria's fairy, I thought of a random name for Mido's fairy.

(5): In the manga, Ghoma was a peaceful creature who protected the Deku Tree. But since the dark man appeared, she was soon consumed by the forces of darkness.

(6): In the manga, Ghoma does, indeed speak, but only like, two or three lines.

Anyways, please R&R.


	3. Legends and Friends

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games.

_Reviews: _Nothing new…

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Chapter 3: **Caring Friends

When Link's vision returned to normal, he saw himself in the meadow of the Deku Tree, standing on something lumpy. Link heard a groan come from below him, and the moment he looked down, he realized that he was standing on Mido, lying on the ground knocked out. Butch was flying nearby, although his impression was that he wasn't impressed by this.

"Well done Link. Though hast verily demonstrated thy courage. I knew that thou wouldst be able to carry out my wishes." The Deku Tree spoke, but Link could sense a bit of concern within his voice, "I have more to tell thee. Wouldst thou listen?" the ancient spirit asked, the concerned voice remained.

Link thought about it for a moment before replying, "Yes, Deku Tree…" Navi flew beside him, sensing the Deku Tree's concern. Link stepped off of Mido, letting him get some air, as much as he hates him though.

"Now… listen carefully. That man, one who is from the desert that came here a few days ago, casted this dreadful curse upon me." The Deku Tree began, the concerned voice fading, "This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule. For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods…

"Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom and Farore, the goddess of courage. Din, with her strong, flaming arms, she cultivated the land the land and created the red earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.

"The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens, and golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the earth. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of the world of Hyrule, and the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm…

"Thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce. Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend. That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power, for because of that curse, my end is nigh. Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started." The Deku Tree spoke and, Link now understood why the spirit was so concerned when he spoke before.

"Yes, I will pass away soon, but do not grieve for me. I have been able to tell you of these important matters, for this is Hyrule's final hope." The Deku Tree said, now fully unconcerned. Link, beside Mido, got into a standing position, shaking whatever dirt that was on his tunic, "Link, go now to Hyrule Castle, for it is there that thou will meet the Princess of Destiny."

Link looked at the Deku Tree, while Mido was confused about everything. Yeah, he recovered, mainly when the Deku Tree started to talk about the goddesses. Navi hovered next to Link, staring at the spirit, who was her friend for a while, tears appearing in her blue eyes. Link nodded to the Deku Tree, agreeing to take on this task.

"Take this stone with you, the stone that man wanted so much, that he cast the curse on me…" When the Deku Tree finished, there was a brilliant, green flash of light. When it dimmed out a bit, Link looked and saw an emerald float over to him. Mido looked at the stone, with both shock and amusement.

"T-that… can't be… I-isn't that the K-Kokiri's Emerald? Why are you giving that to someone as irresponsible as him?" Mido complained, but remained ignored as Link placed the stone into one of his tunic pockets (1).

"The future depends upon thee Link, for thou art courageous. Navi the fairy, help Link to carry out my will. I entreat ye… Navi. Good… bye..." When the Deku Tree finished, the leaves on the spirit began to fall, now an orange color instead of a lush green, and the brown bark turned a dark grey color. Mido, at that minute, fell to his knees and muttered a few curse words, tears falling from his eyes. Link's blue eyes as well, began to tear up, but he held them back. He heard sniffling coming from Navi as well. (2)

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Link sat on the bed that's inside his tree house, still trying to get over the loss of the Deku Tree. It had been half an hour ago that happened, and he felt as if it was his own fault. The Kokiri Sword and the Deku shield remained to the side of the bed, leaning against it. Navi sat in a hollowed out acorn on the only table in the house, trying to clear her tears. Link took an older, smaller tunic and tore a small piece of fabric from it, before handing the piece to Navi. She wiped the tears with the fabric given to her, then letting it drop on the table.

"Navi… we should probably get going. If we stay here, then we're not really helping Hyrule, now are we?" Link said, as he got up and reached for the sword, placing it on his back. He did the same thing with his Deku shield before adding, "He did say not to grieve for him, so that's what I'm trying to focus on…" He heard footsteps just outside his doorway, and looked in that direction. He saw his best friend, Saria standing at the ladder, Alicia floating beside her.

Link gestured for her to enter, and offered her a seat at the rather small table. She sat on a small chair, a few tears in her eyes and one of her favorite instruments in her hand, the ocarina. She looked at how depressed Navi was, and closed her eyes for a minute.

"Mido told us the horrible news about the Deku Tree, and it hit everyone in the forest hard. He also told us that you were going out on a journey outside the forest pretty soon." She said, while Link nodded in agreement, "But, I don't mind, because we'll remain friends for life, won't we?" she asked, looking up at Link. The boy just smiled as he once again nodded. Saria placed the ocarina on the table before getting out of her seat.

"I would like you to have this ocarina, please take care of it. Whenever you play that ocarina, please come back and return to the forest." Saria said, as she headed to the doorway before stopping, "You always will have a home here, so whenever you return for a rest or have finished your quest, you will always be welcomed back by everyone, even Mido (3)." Saria stopped for a minute, looking down at the deck, "I'll see you later…" She finished as she headed and climbed down the ladder.

Link picked up the ocarina and placed it in a pouch Saria given him in the past, before giving his attention back at Navi. She was starting to look a bit better as she didn't have any tears in her eyes anymore. Link smiled as he pulled out the Kokiri's Emerald, looking at it. 'Why did the Deku Tree entrust something so important to me?' he thought, placing the stone back in the pocket.

"Navi, are you ready for the journey ahead of us?" Link asked, looking at her a bit concerned. The fairy flew towards him, although a bit slower than normal.

"I'm ready, but…" she stopped, blushing slightly, "I think we should give it a day before we go anywhere, okay?" she asked, as Link nodded. He looked out his window, watching the sun go down in the west.

"Yeah, I think you're probably right. It was a rough battle against Ghoma today, right?" Link asked, looking at his now guardian fairy. She nodded before he went on, "Plus, the sun has already set, so yeah, it wouldn't be a wise idea to attempt to get to the castle in just one day."

Link grabbed the old tunic and tore a decent sized rectangle out of it for Navi. He cared for her, but more of a sister than anything else, really. Saria, he had been friends with her since the first time they met, so technically, he didn't think of anyone too special. But, tomorrow, he'll see more of the land, and he might even find the perfect girl (4).

Link looked down at Navi, who was quite soundly asleep. Link smiled and turned around, looking out his doorway, seeing the darkened landscape around him. He walked towards it, stepping out onto the deck, looking up at the stars, his eyes shimmering from the reflection of the near full moon. He smiled as he looked ahead of him, watching the spirits of many other fairies dance in the distance, something he done before when he was a bit younger.

That was also the first time he met Saria, who also enjoyed watching the spirits dance to the sounds of nature. It was something special he felt with Saria, but the events after that, there was nothing else that was as special as that night. For it was her that actually treated him as one of the Kokiri, so he thought that he only needed one friend in his life. But after today's events, he soon had begun to think other thoughts, about Navi, the outside world, and what would happen when he'd leave.

He gave one last smile as the fairies departed in the distance, out towards their respective homes. 'Don't worry Great Deku Tree, I will find this Princess of Destiny, and will prevent that man from the desert to never enter that Sacred Realm. I promise…' Link thought, looking up at the sky. His right hand was clenched in a fist, to show that he was determined to live out the Kokiri guardian's final wishes.

He soon turned back towards the inside of his house and walked towards the bed. He got on it and, in almost an instant, fell asleep.

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Meanwhile, elsewhere in Hyrule…

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A girl looks out her window at the almost full moon, a lit candle being the only light within her room. Her long red hair and magnificent blue eyes weren't well seen from the darkness, but there was enough light to see some hints of them. Wearing her nightgown, she hummed an all, too familiar tune that was composed by her mother.

Her mother passed away a few months ago, from an illness she didn't hear about. The girl let out a sigh as she imagined her future prince, to try and forget that incident. She imagined a well built man who didn't have problems handling farm animals, with blond hair and blue eyes (4). She giggled slightly to herself, thinking of her dream date at this age.

"Malon, aren't you in bed yet, darling? If not, I'm coming up there." A male voice came from downstairs, some-what deep. She soon then rushed over to her bed and pulled the covers over her, but realized that she kept the candle lit by mistake. The footsteps were too close for her to risk getting up and putting out the small flame, so she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

The door slowly creaked open as the footsteps were a tad louder than out in the hall, as a large man came in the room. Wearing a red shirt with blue overalls over it, and not completely bald (has black hair encircling the top of his head and down his neck slightly) with a black moustache, he walked over to the candle, muttering something. Soon, the room got slightly darker, mainly because the flame was put out on the candle. Soon the footsteps headed out the door, which was shut momentarily.

The girl sat up when the footsteps faded down the hallway, and began to hum the song again. It was simple, yet she liked it because it reminded her of her mother, who wanted the ranch to be a place that everyone would like to visit. She let out another sigh, as she placed her head back on her pillow. She soon passed out after a short while, smiling as she fell asleep, thinking about her dream prince.

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Author's notes: Yes, I had the Deku Tree explain the whole thing about the Triforce, the three goddesses, and about the dark man from the desert. Also, I thought that I should introduce Malon as well, so please enjoy.

(1): What can you expect; Mido dislikes Link, and as such, thinks that he doesn't deserve the Kokiri's Emerald.

(2): It is a sad moment, so you can expect this to happen, even to Mido and Navi.

(3): Yeah, I know that this is kind of clichéd, but it is true. Link will always be welcomed in the Kokiri Forest. He did live there for ten years after all, so he is considered as one of the Kokiri, even if every Kokiri dislikes him.

(4): Link, though quite recently, decides that there are many people out there in the world of Hyrule, so he starts to think about a girl who he could call, "special"...

(5): In the manga, Malon does dream about her future boyfriend all the time, even when she's supposed to be working.

Anyways, please R&R. (I'll accept anything, flamers too... -.-')


	4. The Ranch

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games.

_Reviews: _random: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad that you like the story so far. ^-^

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Chapter 4: **The Ranch

Link awoke to the sound of pouring rain on his roof, letting out what sounded like a groan. There was a bit of light outside, but not a lot, though there was just enough to see fifty feet in front of a person. The boy stretched as he yawned, scratching the back of his head as he did so. He looked at the table and, standing awake, was his guardian fairy, Navi. His best guess at what time it is currently could be midday.

"Good morning. Slept well?" Link asked, as he sat on the edge of his bed. His messy, blond hair was now uncovered as the hat that he'd always wear is still on the bed, his guess being that it fell off while he was sleeping. He reached and placed the hat back on his head, as he returned his attention back to Navi.

"Yeah, I slept well…" Navi calmly spoke, much better that how she spoke the other day, "Did you have those nightmares again?" she asked, a little bit concerned for him. If he still was, Navi didn't know what she could do to try to help. Link shook his head in response, before looking down at a forty-five degree angle.

"No, for some reason, I haven't had one last night…" he said, speaking the truth. What he really saw this time was that he was on some sort of ranch-like area, standing beside this strange girl. She had long hair, but other than that, he couldn't see any other features, besides the fact that she wears a white dress and had a fascination towards horses (1). Link had no idea who this girl could be, or even believed if she even existed.

Navi looked at him, one of her eyebrows raised, "Uh-huh… Anyways, we should leave as soon as we can, even if it is raining. The sooner we get to the castle, the sooner we get to see this "Princess of Destiny"…" She said, sighing afterwards. Link nodded as he stood up and stretched, just before he reached for his sword and shield, positioning them on his back. But, he then realized that he could just use his shield to shelter him from the rain, so he held it above his head, using it like both its original purpose and an umbrella (2). Navi just shrugged as she sat on his shoulder, as the pair stepped out into the drenched forest, looking forward to the journey ahead of them...

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Elsewhere in Hyrule…

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The girl didn't know how long she'd been awake for, for she had been looking out her window all day so far. She did have that same dream again, about how her dream prince came and save her from a group of rebels, holding a strangely designed sword. She didn't care how it was made though; she just mainly focused on the hero's face. Blue eyes, glittering white teeth, and shoulder-long blond hair, he looked like someone who came out from a fairytale.

She let out a sigh, smiling afterwards, as she headed towards the door that led downstairs. She decided that she'd let one of her closest friends out for a wander in the field, even though it was raining. She walked down the stairs, leading to the main room which, her father was taking a nap. He was more of the lazy, sleepy type of person, and his helper didn't like that. She quietly grabbed her jacket from the rack and put it on, before heading outside in the rain.

Today was supposed to be a day off for everyone who worked on the ranch; the girl, her dad, Talon and his helper, Mr. Ingo, but only because of the rain, as the delivery had been postponed until the rain ends. It was a milk delivery for the Castle Town, and Hyrule Castle itself, for all she knew, anyways. But, this sudden rainstorm had changed that schedule until tomorrow possibly, for it could be tomorrow that the delivery will go on.

The girl silently closed the door as she stepped out onto the drenched ranch grounds, heading towards the stables. Hopefully, Ingo was trying to catch all of the cuccoos that wander around during the day, which somehow escapes from the main room. It was part of her father's way of getting money at the ranch, one of his special cuccoo games. She opened the door to the stable and peeked inside, finding it empty besides the farm animals within. She walked over to one of the many corals along the left side of the rather roomy stable, the one that contained her friend. She opened the gate and looked within it, seeing a rather familiarly young, red coated pony. She walked forwards, humming the song her mother composed and, almost instantly, the pony walked up towards her, neighing as it did so.

"Shhh… can you please be quiet Epona? You want to go out for a run, don't you pretty girl?" the girl asked the horse, which nodded slightly. The girl nodded as she led the pony out, but quite silently, so that Ingo won't come inside for an inspection. She did this only so often, because Ingo wasn't one of those people who can slack off. But, he only spends a certain amount of time within the stable at a time, until her father's cuccoos escape from inside the house.

She slowly opened the door leading out back, away from where Ingo could possibly be working, to prevent questions from him. There was something about him that the girl couldn't quite understand; he's harsh with some of the animals on the ranch and there was an odd, dark glint in his eyes whenever she sees him. She always finds Ingo as strange, but she had seen many other people and, none that she had seen had had the same traits as him. She would often shiver whenever he'd look at her, having a creepy feeling about him.

The girl mounted on the pony known as Epona, as she trotted off of the property, in hopes of avoiding that odd man, Ingo. Luckily, she didn't see him as she stepped onto the incredibly large field of Hyrule. She had only been out here a few times by herself, but she could handle herself to the few dangers out here. She rode off towards the east for a while until she found a trail leading to the south. She followed it for a bit, at a slow rate, seeing that she still had plenty of time before her father would wake up and find her room empty.

She giggled a bit, not paying attention to where she was going. The girl rode right into a wolf, which frightened Epona enough that, caused her to go on her hind legs and send the girl falling to the ground (3). She stared into the eyes of the creature, while it growled at her. She never ran into a wolf out in the field before, and she was too far away from the ranch to be heard from the people close to her. She screamed out anyways, hoping that there was someone who would come and help her…

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Back to Link…

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As Link stepped outside the forest and into the damp field, he heard a scream not too far away. His walk soon broke into a sprint, as he unsheathed his sword and held his shield, ready for combat. He followed the screams and he found someone, a girl to be exact, in danger. She had long red hair and wore a red jacket just over a white dress, trying to fend off a wolf using a stick. Link rushed over and swung at the creature, creating a small wound upon its front left leg.

The wolf howled in pain, but it refused to go down easily though, as it glared at Link. "I will not let you get near her…" Link whispered to the wolf, which just growled in response. Link held his blade, pointing it at the dog-like creature, as if daring it to attack him. The wolf howled as it fled back to where it came from, towards the woods. Link waited until it was out of sight before sheathing his sword, before turning around and reaching out his left hand to help the girl, who had tears coming out of her blue eyes.

The girl reached out and grabbed his hand, and with that, Link pulled her to her feet, before asking, "Are you alright?" Link looked at her while she nodded, as he noticed the red coated pony that was a ways away from their position. The girl looked and ran over to the pony, checking to make sure if it was alright. Link followed her, but as he did so, the young horse just ran a bit further away from him. The girl walked over to him, her scared expression still hadn't changed from the encounter, shaking her head.

"It looks as though she's kind of scared of you. There's only one way to make her come to you and it's like this…" she said, as she closed her eyes and began to hum a simple, yet beautiful melody to Link's ears. Link suddenly had an idea, as he pulled out the ocarina that Saria gave him yesterday. The girl opened her eyes and scanned the ocarina, as her expression changed from scared to confused. Link also noticed a claw mark on her arm, which was bleeding quite a bit.

"Oh, do you want me to teach you how the song goes?" she asked, while Link nodded, agreeing to this, "Okay, this is how it goes…" she helped placed his fingers on the right holes on the instrument, before telling him how it went. It took him a while, but Link eventually learned how to play this beautiful melody on his ocarina. The girl smiled at him as the pony approached the pair, neighing happily to hear the tune. The pony nudged her head against Link, neighing happily.

"It would appear as though Epona has grown fond of you. Anyways, thank you for coming to save me from that attack. If you hadn't shown up then… w-well, I-I would've b-been…" the girl sobbed, as her hands covered her eyes. Link placed the ocarina back in the pouch, before he embraced the girl. The girl was, somehow shocked by this sudden embrace, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

"It's okay, it's okay… it's long gone now, so you have no need to worry…" Link spoke, quite softly in hopes of comforting the girl. The rain continued to fall, although it wasn't as harsh as it was earlier. Link wasn't as drenched as the girl, but he was still soaking wet from the somewhat disappointing fight. He held up his shield once again, before offering, "I'll take you home, seeing that you don't want to catch a cold, do you?"

The girl smiled as she nodded in acceptance, as she held his left hand, leading him back towards the ranch. She had a feeling that this boy, when he grows up, will end up being her savior, hero, and possibly, her boyfriend (4). The area around them seemed to get a bit brighter, as Link looked up and saw that the storm clouds have finally parted, revealing the bright sun. The young horse followed the couple as they mad their way to the girl's house, to make sure that she doesn't catch a cold.

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After a while, the two arrived at the ranch, as the girl said, "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch." Link nodded as he heard the name of the place, and kept it memorized. The sun shone bright, right towards the west. He walked the girl to the stable and waited outside as she put the pony known as Epona inside. It wasn't too long before she showed up again, as they walked to the main house not too far away.

At the doorway, however, was a large man, wearing a red shirt with blue overalls. He wasn't entirely bald and had a mustache; the girl recognized who he was. "Dad… I can explain…" the girl began, but was silenced as this man just gave her a disappointed look.

"How many times do I have to tell you, honey? Riding out in the field can be dangerous if you're alone, that's why I'm disappointed…" the man spoke, shaking his head slightly. He then noticed a scar on his daughter's arm, shaped like a claw made it, "Alright, what was it that harmed you this time? I bet it's one of those forest wolves, wasn't it?" he asked, slightly demanding an answer.

"Yes dad, I did run into a wolf, but it was my own fault. I should've been paying attention to where I was going and, when Epona got scared, I fell and hit the ground. I screamed out for help many times and eventually, this boy showed up before that wolf could finish me. If he didn't show up and scared that wolf off, I wouldn't be here…" the girl looked down, disappointed, gesturing to Link. The man looked at the stranger, as he appeared to think of something.

"Oh, how very sorry I am, young lad. I'm known as Talon, and I own this 'ere ranch, and this girl you saved is my daughter, Malon. Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch…" the man said, now somewhat cheerful, "I'd like to thank you for saving my daughter, for you see, she looks incredibly like her mother, and I would just give up running this ranch if anything serious would happen to her. How about you stay here for the night, so that way you will be ready for tomorrow, eh?" he offered, while Link just scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I don't know. How far is Hyrule Castle from here? I was to be sent there as soon as I could." Link asked, completely lost. Link looked over at Malon for a moment, thinking how wonderful that name sounded. Talon gave a small chuckle, before he realized that Link was serious.

"I'll tell you this much, you won't be able to make it before nightfall. From here, it would be a two hour walk, but only an hour's worth if you're horse-back riding. Frankly though, it would appear that either way, you won't make it there today." Talon spoke, his arms crossed over his torso, looking up and seeing that the sky turned magnificent orange, "It would appear as though there won't be any rain tomorrow so at least that will make the travel much easier. Perhaps you can come with us, as we have to make a delivery at Castle town anyways tomorrow." The man added, scratching the back of his head.

Link thought for a moment, before saying, "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for the night…" Navi looked at him, and Link realized that he almost forgot about her, as well as introducing himself, "Oh, I forgot to tell you my name, Talon. I am Link and, this fairy here, her name is Navi…" Link said, as Navi flew off of his shoulder, smiling as she did so. Malon looked at Navi, smiling as she looked over the fairy.

"So, you're a fairy boy from the forest? Do you live alone, or do you have anybody else that's related to you?" she asked, as she tilted her head slightly to the left. Link shook his head, for he doesn't really know whether he has a family that is still alive or not. Malon looked at him, with both concern and a small amount of shame.

"Don't worry about it. It's something I'm really used to, so there's not need to be ashamed of asking." Link said, a smile appearing afterwards across his face. Malon smiled back, the concerned look disappearing on her face, giggling slightly.

"Alright, now… Link, was it? There are not enough beds inside the house so…" Talon wasn't able to finish when Malon nudged his side.

"Would it be alright if he slept with me, dad? He wouldn't harm me even if he tries, and I'll swear it to you…" she asked, looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes. Talon tried his best to resist, but he nodded in acceptance in the end, defeated by his own daughter. She smiled afterwards, before looking back at a blushing Link. He had never slept with a girl before, other than Navi, anyways, but she was a fairy.

"Okay then, come this way, fairy boy." she said, as she grabbed Link's hand and pulled him inside the house. Link stood by the doorway, still slightly damp from earlier. Malon was in practically the same condition as Link, but a bit more drenched than him. She led him towards the lit fireplace, and positioned them in a sitting position in front of it, so that they could dry quicker.

Malon was positioned to the left of Link, and she snuck her right arm around the back of his neck. Link looked at her, somewhat confused by this action, but Malon just smiled in response. The fairy boy smiled back and looked towards at the fire once again, Navi hovering close by.

Malon leaned over and gently planted a kiss on Link's left cheek, causing him to blush quite a bit (5). The ranch girl let out a soft giggle as she leaned against his shoulder, sighing as she did so. Link looked at her, and realized that she was slowly drifting off to sleep. Malon was hoping that Link would carry her to her room, just like the people in the romance novels she reads.

Link turned slowly, trying not to interrupt her attempt to go to sleep, and placed his right arm below both her knees, his left arm supporting her top half of her angel-like form. Link stood up, surprised by how light she felt as he held her, and walked towards the stairs, as she slept silently in his arms. He walked up the stairs carefully, so he won't trip and accidentally fall on her, Navi following close behind.

After a while he made it to the door, not too entirely exhausted, but still kind of tired, nonetheless. He had his right hand turn the knob on the door, still holding Malon's body as he walked into the bright room. He only felt it would be fair if he slept on the floor, so he walked over to the bed and gently placed her on the soft mattress. She continued to sleep soundly, even when Link pulled the covers over her and planting a small kiss on her left cheek, as he settled himself on the floor nearby. He placed his sword and shield beside him, as his eyelids got quite heavy. Before he knew it, he fell asleep, his vision going black…

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Author's notes: I hope that was a good enough Link and Malon moment, as, like fight scenes, I'm not good at writing romance scenes either. I honestly tried my best to make this as interesting as I could so, please be nice about it.

(1): Link was just imagining what his dream girl would look like, but had no idea what the other features to add to this girl he dreamed about.

(2): Just wanted to add a small amount of humor in this fan-fic.

(3): Not in the manga or game, more like one of those personal twists I put in.

(4): It's because that Link had blond hair, blue eyes, and glittering white teeth, all the traits that Malon imagined.

(5): She's just trying to express her thanks towards him for saving her.

Anyways, please R&R.


	5. Ambush!

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games.

_Reviews: _random: Thank you for the review. I didn't really enjoy the original storyline, but was still an awesome game. After reading the manga, though, I enjoyed that storyline. So that's when I decided to combine the best of both of them, as well as some personal touches

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Chapter 5:** Ambush!

Link awoke and found himself on the floor of an unknown house. He scratched the back of his head, trying to remember what happened. 'Man, sleeping on the solid ground without something soft can be a real pain…' he thought as he looked around the room, yesterday's events returning to him. He saved a girl by the name of Malon from a wolf, came here to the ranch…

He shook his head and remembered the odd dream he had last night. He appeared to be older and taller, something that the Kokiri can't be. He stood bear a well within a village, looking at what appeared to be a self-image of himself, plus some other features. This Link was almost entirely dark, shadowy like, and had a faint, reddish evil glow to his eyes. Link and this shadow had their swords drawn, both having a unique design near the hilt of the sword (1).

Link shook this thought away, as if it were something that was playing tricks on him. He knew that this couldn't be even the slightest bit true; as there was no way that there could be someone who looks almost exactly like him without him knowing about it. He let out a small chuckle to himself, as he stood up and stretched, his back aching slightly. That's one thing he learned; don't sleep on solid wood, or you'll be aching the next day. Navi sat on his shoulder, doing her job by looking over this boy.

"Good morning, fairy boy." A familiar, feminine voice came from behind him. Link turned around and saw Malon sitting on her bed, quite awake, in the same white dress she wore yesterday. Link blushed as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes, almost as if they had control over him. He scratched the back of his head, almost as if he was quite nervous.

"G-good morning to you too, Malon…" Link slightly stuttered, shivering a tad as he did so. Malon giggled, as she stood up and walked towards him, smiling. Link continued to blush, as he felt the girl who was about the same age as him, embrace him. Link's face just went beet red at that moment, as his entire body felt as if it were petrified.

"We should probably get ready to go to Hyrule Castle, huh?" Malon asked, looking into his blue eyes. Link gulped slightly, as his face was still red, looking into Malon's beautiful blue eyes. Link, after a while, his face returned to plain normal blushing, as he embraced her back. He nodded in agreement, as Malon smiled at him, tilting her head to the right.

Link smiled back, as he said, "Yeah, you're probably right. We should probably get ready, shouldn't we?" he asked, as Malon nodded, looking at her possible future boyfriend. She let go of him as she walked over to the doorway, stopping just in front of it. Link followed her, noticing a picture just before the door with what appeared to be Malon's mother, standing with her daughter. Malon grabbed his hand as he arrived in front of her, pulling him outside. Navi started to glow red slightly as she followed the pair.

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Once the pair was outside, they saw Talon and another figure loading a cart with crates. The second figure was tall, yet skinny, had black, slick hair, and brown eyes. He wore a green shirt with white overalls, and, from the pair's view, had a dark glint in his eyes. He looked at both of them for a quick moment before returning to work, grumbling to himself.

"Ah, there you two are." Talon said, taking notice that both Link and Malon were there, "We're basically just about ready to go. Just give it another minute or so, and we'll be off to the castle." He added, as he placed another crate on the cart. Malon nodded and Led Link to another part of the ranch, underneath the tree by the house. They sat beside each other, as Malon leaned her head against Link's shoulder. Navi hovered nearby; still glowing slightly red, but Link didn't seem to notice.

"So what reason do you have at the castle, anyways? Is there anyone important that you need to see, or is it because you haven't been there before?" Malon asked, looking up at Link's eyes. She was curious for why he had to go to the castle.

Link looked at her, and just before he could answer, Talon yelled, "Alright, when you're ready, come here and get on the cart." The pair stood up and removed any grass that got on their clothes when they sat, and started to head back to the cart, Navi following close behind.

When they arrived, they found that Talon was at the front of the cart, which will be carried by a pair of fully grown, brown coated colts. The other man was nowhere to be seen, although Malon knew that he was out doing other business around the ranch. Talon gestured to the pair to get on the back cart, so that they could reach the city as soon as possible. Malon held Link's hand and dragged him over to the cart, taking a seat by some of the crates.

Talon looked back to make sure that they were on, and, with a tug on the reigns in his hands, the cart began to traverse forwards. Link looked over at Malon, thinking about how cute she was and had hopes that she would be his future girlfriend. Malon was having almost similar thoughts about the fairy boy, hoping that he would be her boyfriend.

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After a while, the cart came to a halt, overlooking a wall of rubble within the trench that led towards the castle (2). There was a small group of people trying to break up the rather large rock, but they weren't going fast enough. Talon got off the cart to consult with the boss, as Link and Malon remained by the cart, still thinking about each other.

Before they could say anything to each other, Talon returned while saying, "It would appear as though we're taking the long route this time. There happened to be a landslide the other day and this rubble fell during the storm. It will take us much longer, and we'll be more open to any bandits along the way, so we'll just be careful." He told the pair, as Link was sort of confused about this. Nonetheless, he nodded as Talon took his place on the cart, turning it right around the way he came.

Talon followed the path that led towards the east, towards Lake Hylia and the Gerudo Desert, according to the map Link was looking over. 'Isn't the desert where the Deku Tree said that strange, dark man originated from?' Link thought, recalling what the Kokiri's guardian referred before he left the world. Navi, glowing slightly yellow, had a bad feeling about what could be up ahead. Malon just looked out the back, making sure that she could warn her dad that bandits will arrive.

After a short while, there was a violent shake upon the cart, as Link looked in the direction at where it came, seeing a female figure with long, red hair, wearing identical colored clothing holding up a sword, shaped like a scimitar, riding a black stallion. Link pulled out his slingshot and took aim, but after another ram from the woman, he lost his grip on it and dropped it, the slingshot falling off the cart. He couldn't possibly get it now, but just as the woman was about to hit the cart again, she was hit by an arrow in the arm and fell off the horse, from the loss of balance.

Link looked in the direction at where the arrow came from, and saw Malon holding a bow in her right hand (3). She tossed it to Link along with a small quiver of arrows, as she motioned to him that more were coming. Link readied the bow with an arrow, watching as two more females on similar stallions arrive, holding scimitars as well. Link released the string as the arrow flew at one of the riders, but they moved out of the way just as the arrow whizzed by their head. Link took out another arrow from the quiver and took aim again, this time the shot was successful, hitting the woman in the leg. She appeared as though she was slowing down, but Link knew that the fight was not over, as he readied another arrow, but lost his balance as the cart was hit again.

Just as he thought that he wouldn't remain on the cart, he felt a hand on his own. He looked up and saw Malon, pulling him up onto the cart. After he got on, he grabbed yet another arrow and placed it on the bow's string. Upon release, he hit the horse the woman was riding, causing it to fall to the ground and onto the woman. Malon gasped as Link looked behind the cart, taking notice of yet another woman, but instead of wearing red, she wore a bright green, much like the same as his own tunic. Link went to ready another arrow and took aim, but realized that there were no more arrows left for the bow to shoot. Link stood up as he handed the bow to Malon, starting to bear his sword and shield after.

He got into a position where he could jump on the horse and disrupt the woman, but she had other ideas, as she leapt off her stallion and onto the space on the cart, holding up not one, but two scimitars, ready for combat. Link gave out a small growl as he lunged at her, swinging his sword like mad, but was kicked towards a crate by the woman. Just as Link got up, one of her scimitars were right up to his neck, feeling the cold, sharp steel along it.

"Poor kid, I feel really sorry about doing this, but I was ordered to do this…" the woman said, underneath the bandana she wore over her mouth. Link closed his eyes as the second scimitar was raised, waiting for the blow to come. Suddenly though, he felt his sword be removed from his grip, and heard a gasp from this strange woman. Opening his eyes, he no longer saw the woman in front of him, but on the stallion she rode earlier, heading off in the opposite direction. Link also saw Malon holding his sword, a small amount of blood at the tip of it, as she breathed heavily (4).

"Don't… mind me… fairy boy... just paying back for saving me… when things got out of hand yesterday…" Malon said, sounding exhausted. Link then watched as she closed her eyes and began to fall, but Link was quick enough to catch her before she hit the wooden surface of the cart. He gently placed her down as he continued to look out for anymore of those female bandits, but none came. Link reached for his sword, sheathing it on his back as the cart began to slow down after the sudden attack, Talon taking a quick glance towards the back.

"It's alright Talon, she just fainted. It looks as though there are no wounds on her at all, so you don't have to worry…" Link said, as Talon nodded and returned his attention back on the path. Link looked down at the silent, angelic form of Malon, checking over her for any wounds, which he didn't find. Link held her up and gave her a hug, closing his eyes as he did so.

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For the remainder of the ride, it remained silent and easygoing, just what Link hoped for. Malon still hasn't awoken yet, but she did move a few times during the trip. Link continued to watch over her while they entered Castle Town, still hoping that she would wake up. The sun was just about to set over the horizon in the west, resembling that it wouldn't be too long before evening takes place over Hyrule.

The cart stopped outside a two-story building not too long after, as Link heard Talon's voice, "It would appear as though we'll have to rest here for the night. At least we made it to Castle Town today, so getting to the castle tomorrow won't be too much trouble." The ranchman spoke, as he looked back, "I'd like you to take Malon inside, while I try to find this town's doctor." He handed Link two red rupees, as he spoke again, "This should cover the expenses for renting a room for the night." He said, as Link placed the two rupees in his pocket, as he carried Malon off the cart bridal style.

"I'll see you both a bit later…" Talon said as he started traveling down the road again, Link looking at the building with Malon in his arms. He walked forward and opened the door leading inside, stepping into the warm lobby. He walked forward for a bit, and took notice of a young woman resting by the counter. He walked up, and noticed that this woman was indeed, asleep.

Link gave out a sigh before saying, "Ummm, excuse me…" The woman continued to sleep. Link slightly annoyed, tried again, but a tad bit louder. The woman still continued to sleep peacefully. Finally, pissed off enough, Link yelled it and this time, quite surprised, the woman awoke, her eyes wide open. She looked at him and bowed in apology, and noticed Malon in his arms.

"What happened to her?" She asked, slightly concerned. Link then explained to her about the travel from the ranch to here; the encounter with female bandits, the landslide in the south entrance, and Malon blacking out. Link then tried his best to pull out the rupees, but failed somewhat.

"Oh, don't worry about it. In cases like this, I tend to give out a room. I'll just take you to the nearest, empty room, okay?" She asked as she walked out the side and towards a nearby door, Link following close behind. After opening the room's door and checking inside, making sure that no one was inside, the woman told him it was alright to enter. Link thanked her as he walked in, the door closing shortly after he placed Malon on the bed. He looked at her silent form, still seeing that there were no open wounds on her.

Link constantly looked over her, checking to make sure that there weren't any wounds on her, while Navi hovered nearby, glowing a darker shade of blue than normal. When he tried to make sure she was breathing, Link felt his foot stuck on something. Letting out a grunt, Link pulled his leg several times, hoping that it would release after a while. After giving a large tug, Link lost his balance and fell softly on Malon, his lips colliding with hers (5). Link's eyes shot open immediately, mainly from shock and surprised by this sudden change of events. He noticed that Malon's eyes have opened now, just about as shocked as him, but calmed down a bit after a short while. Link broke the kiss, backing off a bit to give her some air, glad that she was now awake.

"What was that… fairy boy?" Malon spoke slowly, still surprised by this kiss. Link's face was just entirely beet red from embarrassment, mainly because he knew that it was only an accident. Link looked away, scratching the back of his head, as he heard Malon giggle behind him. He felt arms wrap around him from behind, as he heard Malon's light breathing be his right ear.

"It's okay fairy boy, stuff like this happens basically all the time, doesn't it?" She whispered, as Link felt Malon kiss him on the cheek afterwards. Link's face was now more of a blush now than anything, so he decided to turn around, looking into Malon's sapphire blue eyes. He gave her a smile, as he gave her a small kiss on the cheek. She gave out a small giggle as she embraced him, causing him to almost lose his breath.

She loosened her grip afterwards, not wanting to suffocate the boy who kissed her, but continuing to hug Link. Navi was giving off a slight green glow, but nonetheless flew over to the dresser and sat down, looking at the pair. Link felt Malon release him and seen her head back to the bed, sitting at the edge and looking at him. She gave him a smile, giggling slightly as she did so.

'For someone who was knocked out for half the travel here, she's giggling when she was in danger.' Link thought, but shrugged it off afterwards. He saw Malon stretch and yawn, resembling that she was exhausted, even though she was sleeping half the travel. Link set his equipment to the side, and when he laid out on the floor, the Kokiri Emerald cam out of his pocket, making a small thud noise. Malon looked in the direction at where it came, and saw the beautiful gem next to Link. Her eyes were open with shock and amazement, seeing that the stone was real emerald and gold.

Link looked at her and, strangely, found her eyes become brighter and had more shine to them than what he saw earlier that day (6). He then noticed that she was looking at the stone and, immediately went to place it in his pocket, but was stopped by Malon. She looked at him with begging eyes, and Link, without hesitation, showed her the Kokiri Emerald.

"Oh, that is such a beautiful stone, fairy boy! Would it be alright if I just… hold it for a minute? I swear I'll give it right back, I promise…" Malon asked, her eyes just as bright and shiny as when she first laid eyes on it. Link looked at her, and back to the stone, before handing her the stone.

"That stone is very important to me because, someone very important to me passed away, and they gave me that stone before they… well, basically you understand, right?" Link said, as Malon looked closely at the stone, making absolute sure that it wasn't a fake. Malon nodded as she handed the stone back to Link, as he placed it back in the pocket it fell out of. Malon returned to the bed, sitting on the edge. Link noticed that she was about to collapse, her eyelids constant fluttering made it clear of that.

Soon enough, he saw Malon fell on the mattress, landing on her side. Link knew that she just fell asleep, as her eyelids were closed. He stood up and walked over to the bed, and pulled the covers over the silent, angelic form of Malon. Link then looked over at the dresser, seeing Navi was sleeping as well, giving off her everyday blue glow. Link smiled as he spread himself on the floor, and almost immediately, fell asleep.

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Author's notes: I had a tough time trying to come up with this chapter, seeing that I had a case of writer's block. x_x Anyways, I tried my best to put in a first kiss between the couple and some comedy as well, so ya. I tried my best so I wouldn't end up with something that has mature material in it.

(1): Take a wild guess who Link is describing. (No, you don't have to put this in any reviews)

(2): I'm using the "Twilight Princess" version of Hyrule in this, but slightly altered as well.

(3): Look, it is a long way to the castle, and she wants to help her dad put in a successful order, so she trains with a bow to make sure that nothing happens to the delivery.

(4): Malon totally did this by instinct, and also by the fact that she didn't want her savior to die the day after she nearly died.

(5): Link didn't really mean for this to happen, even if it was an accident.

(6): I made it so Malon has an admiration towards precious gemstones such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, etc.

Anyways, please R&R.


	6. The Castle

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games.

_Reviews: _Linkblade1: Thank you for the review. ^-^ My goal is that, when I started this fan fiction, I'd be able to finish it unlike my others. And to answer your question on Navi, here's the color list and what each color means for my fan-fic.

Red = Jealous/angry/annoyed,

Green = curious/confused,

Blue = her normal color,

Yellow = cautious/careful,

Violet/Purple = excited,

White/Pale = ill/exhausted,

Orange = bored/mellow,

I think that's about it for Navi's rainbow of colors.

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Chapter 6:** The Castle Town

Upon waking up inside his night only room, Link heard calm breathing behind him. Turning around, he saw the silent, sleeping form of Malon, resting beside him. Link couldn't help but blush at this, feeling a bit of uncertainty at how close she was to him. He was actually surprised that he was awake before Malon, considering that she slept most of yesterday from events.

'What is up with all these dreams I keep having…?' Link thought to himself, referring to the dream from last night. Again, he was older and taller, but instead of inside the village from his last dream, he was at Lon Lon Ranch. He was wearing, not a green tunic, but instead a white tunic, and he was standing at an archway.

'I seriously got to stop thinking about the future; otherwise I end up with strange dreams like this.' Link thought, placing his hand on his forehead, shaking his head, 'Besides, I'm a Kokiri, and the Kokiri are to remain children forever, right?' He then heard movement beside him, and heard a yawn as well coming from Malon. Looking over, Link found himself staring into her beautiful blue eyes, which seemed to have a hypnotic effect on him.

"Good morning, fairy boy." Malon spoke silently, enough for Link to hear, "I felt alone in the bed over there, so I hope you didn't mind me coming to sleep with you." She added, while her voice was still silent. Link blushed again, this time mainly because that he wasn't awake when she moved.

Link sat up and, as he went to say something, he found it hard to speak. His face soon became beet red, mainly because he couldn't think of something to say to her or how he felt towards her. He heard her giggle as she leaned in closer and kissed him on the cheek, feeling the blood rush to his head as she pulled away. He then suddenly remembered what Talon told him last night.

Wasn't Talon supposed to come by and check on Malon last night, to make sure she was alright? Link didn't notice Talon's presence during his whole time asleep, and had a feeling that he would've let the pair know about him checking on them. Link scratched the back of his head, both in frustration and in question. Malon looked at him, wondering why he was being the way he was now.

"What's the matter, fairy boy?" she asked, looking him in the eyes. Link then told about the previous day's events, after arriving at the inn, how Talon said that he would check up later, the free nights stay at the inn, and of course the kiss. Malon, quite calm about the situation, just gave a smile at Link.

"Don't worry about it. Dad does this all the time, and forgetting is only one of his minor habits. Knowing him, he might possibly be sleeping on the castle grounds." Malon said, continuing to smile while sitting on the edge of the room's bed, "Besides, he won't be back until later anyways. He tends to sleep about fifteen hours a day, so we don't have to worry about him all that much." She added, giggling afterwards.

Link stood nearby, leaning along a wall, with Navi flying around him, glowing orange. Link wasn't really informed of what each and every color that Navi gleamed meant, so he thought he should ask that question later. Returning his attention to Malon, he began to think about what he had to do. Probably while he went to the castle, he could probably find and wake up Talon. But, from the information given to him that the castle was guarded from Malon, it would be difficult to even enter through the front gate.

Link just let out a sigh, as if it was one of boredom and somewhat tired. Malon just looked at him, thinking about the future and of course, Link, her handsome fairy boy. From what she sees, Link is her hero, not exactly her knight in shining armor, but still her hero nonetheless. He may be about the same age as her, but he was quite courageous to help take on those bandits along the way to Castle Town.

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There was a knock on the door, as Link walked over and opened it, seeing a man, clad in a full suit of armor and bearing a symbol of a red bird on the breastplate, on the other side of the door. He had blond hair and blue eyes, much like Link's, but he was much taller and older. He also had a sword on his back, but his shield was in his right hand, meaning that he was a lefty swordsman. He looked down at Link, showing a slightly shocked facial expression, but shook his head and cleared his throat afterwards, pulling out a note from his pocket.

""At the inn, look for a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a green tunic, as well as a girl with red hair and blue eyes, wearing a white dress. And a fairy is also with them, so don't swat anything that may glow and is about the size of a fly. When seen, escort them immediately to the Castle…"" The man read from the note, before letting out a sigh and returning his attention to the pair and Navi, "I'm guessing that you are the ones I just described off the note I just read, right? Well, d'uh… You are the only ones that came here last night. Anyways, it was the princess who sent me here, suggested from a man named Talon, or something…" He spoke, shaking his head before muttering something to himself.

Links, as well as Malon were both shocked at this, as the man stood by the door, continuing, "Well, the note did say immediately, so if you two are ready, then we should hurry up." Link heard him mutter something afterwards as he turned around, "That boy… why does he look a lot like my son from nine years ago…?" Link was shocked mentally, but decided to keep it to himself. Malon was confused, but pushed Link forwards, following the soldier.

The man led them through the busy streets, though many of the older females just practically fainted when he just glanced at them. Link and Malon just looked at each other, both quite jealous of how good he looked, but continued to follow him until they passed through the front door of the castle. They haven't talked the whole way to the castle, but once there, both Link and Malon were shocked by the size of the castle up close.

While walking through the large hallways, the pair saw many maids and butlers in a rush getting things done. They also saw many guards, like the man who was leading them currently, but they all had helmets on their head, plus their armor wasn't a fancily done like his.

After a short walk, the man finally broke the silence and asked Link, "This is not an order, more of a request, but; boy, what is your name, might I ask?" Link was somewhat shocked when the man asked this, quite calmly as well. Navi flew closely behind them, and eventually landed on Link's shoulder to take a rest from flying.

Link looked up at the man and simply said, "My name is Link… Why do you ask?" The man was a bit more surprised than when he first saw Link, after hearing the name. He closed his eyes momentarily then opened them again shortly after, looking at Link.

"It's just that… I knew someone who looked a lot like you nine years ago, and I just wanted to know your name, that's all." The man simply stated, before they found themselves at a pair of large doors. The man pulled the one open and led the two in, seeing that it was quite large within.

Link and Malon were surprised at how massive and colorful this room was. The man continued forwards and got on his knees, lowering his head. Link was confused as Malon did the same next to him, but when she told him that they were in the presence of the King of Hyrule, Link hesitantly got on his knees in a hurry. On his shoulder, he felt Navi do the same thing, though much more calmly. Link felt as if he might've done something to upset them, but he didn't hear an order of imprisonment.

Instead, he heard the King speak, "Rise Ser Christian, and you too, weary travelers." Hearing this, Link stood up, along with Malon next to him and Navi on his shoulders. The man known as Christian returned to standing as well, his shield still in hand. Link could've sworn he heard that name before, but shook the thought aside as Navi started to fly around again.

Link then noticed that Talon was standing at the side; however he was focused on what the king was saying, "Now Talon, you've informed me that the boy in the green tunic desires to speak with my daughter, correct? I have told you before that I cannot make simple requests such as this possible, especially when peasants are involved."

Talon easily responded, "But your highness, this boy is not a peasant! He is not even from any of the known villages in Hyrule. He is actually from the forest to the far south, and he did save my daughter from death, so I'm sure he'd save yours too if it came down to it." With that said, many of the people within the room gasped, only the king, Christian and the girl who's fancily dressed standing next to the king not surprised. The king looked over to Link and motioned for him to come to him.

Link, quite nervous, did so and eventually stood ten feet from the king. The king looked at him for a while, before asking, "Young son, is what Talon here speaks true, about you living in the forest of the Kokiri?" Link could only give a simple nod, as the king asked for Malon to approach as well. She did so, and humbly bowed in his presence.

"Young lady, did this boy here save your life from death, and brought you home safe to your loving father?" he asked, quite politely. Malon nodded, as she backed up a bit and stood by Link. The king could only chuckle a bit, before saying, "So, because he saved you, you believe that he could save you from anything, right?" Malon nodded again, before grasping Link's arm.

Christian looked at the pair, before stepping forward and asking, "Your highness, permission to speak freely?" he bowed while saying this, showing complete respect for the king.

"Granted." The king simply spoke, as Christian stood again.

"You see, your Excellency, this boy and lady are merely just crushing more than loving, but they both care more about the other than themselves. It's just what you can expect when a boy arrives from practically nowhere and saves a lady when the girl starts to develop feelings towards her savior. Trust me, I've been in a similar predicament as them." Christian spoke, looking the king in his eye, "And surely sire, if it was your daughter in that same situation, I'm sure he'd save her nonetheless, even if the opponent might be too much for him to handle." Christian added, before stepping back.

The king sat on his throne in thought for a while, before motioning for Link to approach once again. Link did so, but was surprised when the king asked his daughter to approach him. Nodding, the girl turned and looked at Link, before motioning for him to follow her into the next room. Link, though quite dumbstruck, did so without any questions asked, as Navi flew closely behind him.

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In the next room, Link stood for a moment, before the girl asked, "So, you're from the forest. Do you happen to have the Spiritual Stone of the Forest on you, the green and shining stone?" Link, snapping into reality, reached into his pocket and pulled out the Kokiri's Emerald. The girl looked at it and smiled, meaning that this was what she was talking about.

"So I'm sure the Kokiri's guardian, the Deku Tree, has told you about the legend of the Triforce and the three goddesses who created this world, right? Then, I'll have to tell you this; the Triforce is located in the Temple of Time in the town, however you cannot get it without the following things; the three spiritual stones, and the Royal Family's sacred treasure, the Ocarina of Time. Do you understand?" the princess spoke, looking at Link quite seriously, while he just gave a nod.

"I apologize for not introducing myself; I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. Might I ask for your name?" the girl known as Zelda spoke, remembering to properly introduce herself. Link wasn't surprised when she said she was the princess, and yet, he had to show proper respect so he lowered his head slightly.

"My name is Link. You can make sure of it by asking Christian, because he apparently knows someone who looks like me. Actually, that's my question for you; what is with Christian anyways? Why does he act this way, especially since he led me here?" Link spoke, though his questions on Christian couldn't be helped, "I'm sorry, I should just ask him myself. I shouldn't ask someone who doesn't know him better than himself." Link followed, realizing his mistake when he spoke with Zelda.

However, Zelda shook her head before responding, "He wouldn't tell you much else than that. You see, nine years ago, he lost his only wife and son during a war. His son looked a lot like him, but the day his wife got wounded from the fighting, he had her sent to safety with his son. However, when word reached him that the warriors he sent to protect her had fallen, he was certain she was gone, along with his son. He never talked about it, and he surely never will." She closed her eyes for a moment, before continuing, "But, if his wife was to survive, he would've quit the Hyrulian army to help raise his son."

"As you may have noticed, he's well respected across the town by all; warriors from near and far, townsfolk, as well as the women that reside here as well. Many of the women wish to just marry him; however he refuses each and every offer of marriage." Zelda continued, Link searching for any memories from nine years ago, however only a name came to him, which was Christian's. Zelda could tell from his facial expression that he was in some deep thoughts.

"You happen to know Christian, don't you?" She asked, while Link simply nodded. Zelda looked at him, before continuing, "Well, I'm not sure on what to say except, you do look extremely like him, but I'm doubt that you'd be his son, as Kokiri only live in the forest. Then again, Kokiri are said to remain in the forest, otherwise they'd die if they do leave; yet you left the forest and you're fine. Probably you're truly not a Kokiri, but I just can't say it for certain." Zelda finished this, but soon closed her eyes momentarily.

"That man standing out in the hall, the darkly dressed man, did you get a glimpse of him? He is known as Gannondorf, a man who swore allegiance with my father. Gannondorf is leader of the Gerudo tribe in the desert to the east, and he wishes to aid my father, but I think he's just using this to get at the Triforce. His dark eyes, they seem to be filled with greed and lies, meaning that he could only be after the Triforce that is currently placed in the Temple of Time." Zelda explained, while Link did recall a man wearing almost entirely black, with evil glinted eyes. He nodded, showing a face of anger; this was the man who cursed the Deku Tree, one who cannot be trusted.

"I was told about this man before; he killed the Deku Tree under a curse he placed on Ghoma and absorbing the Deku Tree's power. If Gannondorf is defeated, then the Deku Tree will surely be avenged, as this could be a final wish I could carry out. But, if he is as powerful a sorcerer as the Deku Tree mentioned, then surely it would be quite difficult for me to even land a blow on him the way I am now. I'm pretty sure that even Christian would have some difficulty as well." Link spoke, though he only wished that there was some way for him to face Gannondorf.

"There is a way. The Triforce, when touched by the hands of someone who's of pure heart, Hyrule will become a land of a golden age upon their wish. However, should someone with an evil heart touches the Triforce and has their wish granted, the land will become one overrun by darkness. If you go and retrieve the last two spiritual stones, I will have the Ocarina of Time be given to you by Christian. Do you have anything that I could use to cover up as the Ocarina of Time, so if anything should befall it, Gannondorf will think he has the right instrument?" Zelda asked, while Link searched his pocket, pulling out Saria's ocarina. He really didn't want to give it up, but his memories of the forest and his friends who reside there, especially Saria, will never be forgotten. He closed his eyes while grasping the ocarina one last time, before handing it over to Zelda.

'_Saria, I'm sorry…_' Link thought, as Zelda slowly took the ocarina from his hands, and placing it at her side. She smiled slightly, but noticed the disappointed look on his face. She surely didn't want him to go without an instrument, so she handed him another ocarina, slightly smaller, but it didn't look much different than the one Saria given him, save for the fact that it was red instead of light pink.

"I know it may not be like the one you gave me, but it's yours, at least until you return to Castle Town with the three spiritual stones in hand. When that time comes, I'll have Christian wait for you at the Temple of Time with the Ocarina of Time in his possession. I know that we can both trust him, as he stuck to his word when I sent him for you. In addition, it seems as if he's connected to your past as well, so he might have answers for when you return." Zelda assured, as Link nodded, though he still seemed a bit disappointed.

"Alright, I'll do it. Do you happen to know of the whereabouts of the other two spiritual stones?" Link asked, while Zelda seemed shocked slightly. Link soon spoke to his inner self, '_Don't tell me, she has no clue on where they are, does she…?_' Link's face soon became one in disbelief, as if he couldn't understand how the princess of Hyrule seemed to know so much about the forest, yet she doesn't know where the two spiritual stones were.

"All I know about is the where the Spiritual Stone of Fire can be located. It can be found in the possession of the Gorons along Death Mountain. Where the Spiritual Stone of Water is, I'm unsure, but my guess is that it's in the possession of the Zoras upriver in Zora's Domain. If you are still unsure of its location after you receive the Spiritual Stone of Fire, try returning to the castle; I may know of its true location by then." Zelda spoke, smiling at him. Link smiled back, before he turned back to the door.

"You may need one more thing…" Zelda began, as she began to write on a very well decorated note paper. As Link turned back to her, she was holding up the note to him, before she added, "The way leading up to the mountain is closed off to the public unless they have permission from either the king or the princess, which is me. But, to make it more official and less suspicious, I'm going to have to ask Christian to escort you and that other girl out of the castle. I hope that you're not offended…" Zelda finished, as she looked down slightly.

Link didn't want to disappoint her, so he accepted the note before saying, "Nah, I don't mind. As you mentioned before; you are the princess, and it's just not normal for a princess to be friends with a lower class person, right? At least, that's what I've heard, anyways…" Link was glad when Zelda looked up at him and smiled. Link was also glad mentally; for when he receives the Triforce, he would wish for peace across Hyrule; which would include the happiness of Malon and everyone, the fall of Gannondorf and possibly the revival of the Deku Tree. Link hoped all this and more, but that will only happen when he receives the last two Spiritual Stones, and of course, the Ocarina of Time.

Zelda walked by him and opened the doors leading back to the hallway, as he followed close behind her. Upon arrival, Link found his eyes focused on the dark man, who was standing next to the king. Wearing almost entirely black and had red hair, Link could've sworn that his hair was much like those bandits that attacked him yesterday. Link soon became even more suspicious of Gannondorf, as if he had some connection with the bandits from yesterday.

The king looked over at him and calmly spoke, "So you have spoken with my daughter, correct? If so, then Christian, I ask that you do another favor. Please escort the Kokiri boy and farm girl out of the castle." Christian nodded as he looked at Link and gestured for him and Malon to follow. Link, now aware of his destiny, had only just begun his quest for peace in Hyrule…

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Author's notes: Yeah, such a cheesy line at the end, eh? Anyways, if you're wondering who Christian is, please take a guess in your reviews. However, I will not answer the question right away, because I don't want to give you any spoilers.

Preview for Chapter 7: The Massive Climb: Fire

_As the bubbling of boiling lava could be heard from the crack in the ground, Link could only walk forward. Not wanting to fall if the crack was unstable, he set the fuse on one of his newly acquired bombs before setting it near the crack. Backing up a few feet, Link waited with his shield up for the large explosion caused by the small bombs. After a while, shrapnel flew every which way, however none of it was able to pierce his shield as the explosion was let off._

_Link walked up to the new hole in the ground, looking down. He saw a dirt path, and the heat within the moist cavern just seemed to increase severely. Wanting this to be done and over with, Link jumped down the hole, the fall larger than he expected. Luckily, the ground was soft to cushion his fall, but Link couldn't help but feel that he wasn't alone here with Navi._

_The ground shook as a faint roar came from behind him. Link, turning around hurriedly, saw…_

Anyways, please R&R. ( Also, I apologize for the long wait, because I had a case of Writer's Block, so ya… x_x )


	7. The Massive Climb

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games.

_Reviews: _Kate7950 – Thanks for the review, and I'm motivated again! ^^

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Chapter 7:** The Massive Climb: SSOF

After being escorted out of the castle, Link looked at Malon and, knowing that it would be safer if he didn't tell her what he was planning to do. She tilted her head in curiosity and smiled, looking into his sapphire blue eyes, as if they meant he was hiding something. Christian, his armor gleaming brightly as he walked by placed where sunlight shone towards him, was still leading the way out of the castle. Link had noticed that a lot of knights had their swords at their waist, but only Christian carried his on his back.

Not only that, but unlike the knight swords he seen, Christian's was by far the most different shape. The hilt was a bright orange in color, with a sapphire embedded at the end of the hilt. The center guard started with a phoenix's head, and with wings spreading out, the blade itself looked fancily done. Link hoped that he could find a way to get either a new blade, or have his current one refined from a blacksmith. But he supposed that the Kokiri Sword would do for a while, even if it was more along the lines of a dagger than anything.

Once the four of them were outside the castle, Link looked at Christian one last time, but saw that he was really deep in thought. Before Link would turn to face Malon again, he heard Christian speak, saying, "Link..." Link gazed back at him, and Christian turned to face him, his sapphire eyes gazing at Link's. "Protect those who are dearest to you, that's all I can tell you for now…" He explained, before turning and began to wander around the castle town, where people were wandering endlessly.

Link thought about what he said, and something in his mind sparked up, and a very minor vision of the past came to him; flames, swords clashing with one another, cries… darkness.

_Though he couldn't see, he heard Christian's voice speak, and a woman's voice talking with one another, but the words were muffled; he couldn't hear them clearly. What he could hear is, "Take him… safety… south… forest of the Kokiri… Deku Tree…" and then a horse neighed, and began to ride off, before more combat noises came to him._

Link had recovered when he felt Malon nudge him a little, his eyes opening a little. He looked as though he was in a bit of a trance, before they went to completely open. '_Christian… who were you talking to, and who were you sending to the forest…?_' Link thought, but forgot where he was momentarily. He had completely forgotten about Malon being there with him, and he was well aware that it wasn't proper that he left her like that.

He turned to face her, and saw that she wore a worried expression, as if concerned that he might've thought of something bad. Link just casually smiled at her, and said, "Don't worry about me, I just kind of dozed off… But I'm sorry for concerning you at all, Malon…" That was when he saw her smile again, and that was the Malon he got to know rather well. But he was still confused as to how on earth that memory came to his mind, yet he didn't want it to interfere with his quest, as well as Malon.

It was around that time that a horse neighed, and with that, Link looked in the direction of the sound, and he saw Talon's cart that Link and Malon rode in yesterday to get there, arrived beside them. Malon, as if understanding what it meant, she climbed on the back, and signaled Link to come and take a seat next to her. He blushed a bit, and he remembered looking at how far away Death Mountain was, and he had that feeling that her farm was closer to Death Mountain than where he was now, so he climbed in.

During the ride, Link had expected more of the bandits that they had a run-in with on their way here would show up again, but since they had nothing of interest now, no encounters. Malon was glad that the ride was silent and encounter free, as was Link, though he wanted a bit of fun on the way there. So what Malon had him do, was to shoot at trees as they passed them, and the more he hit them, the longer he could stay at the ranch, and if he hit enough, she might let him use Epona as much as he wanted, even if she was still a pony.

Unfortunately, Link didn't hit the amount needed to have right to ride the pony, but he didn't let it get to him; after all, he didn't have much training with a bow anyways, let alone a slingshot. But at least he had a place to go to if things should get a bit too difficult for him on his journey; something for him to look forward to. Once they arrived back at Lon Lon Ranch, Link and Malon were in a conversation amongst themselves, about what they plan to do in the future. Link hopes to become a successful swordsman, even if he is to remain a child for his entire life. Malon didn't seem to understand, but played along, and said that she hoped to be a great horse whisperer and trainer when she's older.

Link actually envied that dream of hers; at least they had one thing in common; they had their dreams, but she's a human, so no doubt that she'll grow up to an adult, while he'll still be a child, or so he believed. But the dreams he had bugged him, about the ones in which he was older, bigger, and adult-like, so he wondered on who, or what he really was. He grew up in the forest, raised as one of the Kokiri, yet he has memories of Christian, who was not at all in the forest, and that made him question who he really is. But he managed to calm back down when the cart came to a stop, and he climbed off, and dusted himself off a bit, since he got a bit of dust on him when they hit a small bump on the way there, and that made him lose an arrow.

Link would pay for the arrows he used up, but he forgot that he had no money whatsoever until he pulled out his rather small wallet, which was empty, and had a moth fly out of it, making him blush a bit. Of course, Malon wanted to make sure it was fine, however, Link wanted to pay her back, so he decided to work it off by working for the remainder of the day. It was roughly mid-afternoon, so there were still things that they could do for that day. The cuccoos needed to return to their pens, a few cows had to be milked, and the horses were to return to the stables.

* * *

(1)

When the sun was just peaking towards sunset, Link gave a sigh as the last horse was put in the stables with Malon's help. She envied how Link managed to round up cuccoos at quite an impressive pace, a bit faster than what she could do. But she was aware that he probably had quite a few problems to deal with back in the forest, so he had to be fast in order to avoid them. She had never had to worry about running on her feet too much; she had often relied on Epona to keep up with cuccoos when she couldn't herself. But Link's legs were roughly average compared to his body size, and he seemed to be much faster when he took his sword and shield off his shoulders.

However, Link knew he couldn't stay here for too long, and that he has to press onto Death mountain, and obtain the Spiritual Stone of Fire from the Gorons. Once he had his equipment back, he stood by the front door when Malon was about to head in and prepare for bed. She tilted her head when he didn't go in with her, but it was then, though he didn't wish to endanger her or anything, Link had to make up something.

"Since I've been in the forest for a long time, I really would like to see all of Hyrule, and be sure to return here and the forest to explain my stories of what I find." He explained to her, and though Malon didn't wish for him to go, she knew she couldn't hold him back.

"It _**is**_ your dream to travel across the land and become a great swordsman, so fairy boy, I won't force you to stay. As a token of our friendship, I'll lend you Epona, but on one condition…" She spoke, and Link was a bit surprised at her offer, before she pressed on, "Promise me that you'll return to check up on me every once in a while, in case something should occur here…" She asked him, and though it was quite a task for him to accomplish, Link nodded.

"I promise, Malon… I'll return and if anything should happen to you, I'll be there to protect you if I must… I swear it on my name…" He spoke to her, gently taking her hand and placed it over his heart, to show her that he meant it with his heart. They both blushed a bit at the action, but Malon smiled through it, which had caused Link to return it with his own.

With that, Link had to finally release her hand, and before Malon was completely out of sight, she told him, "Please take good care of her…" With that, the door closed, and Link smiled a little before turning around to the stable. Ingo was no longer in there, since he slept in the silo a ways away, so he didn't have to worry about waking anyone. Link slowly walked in, and navigated to Epona's coral, and saw her standing, but he saw her look at him. Before she could freak out, though, Link pulled out the ocarina Zelda had given him, and played her song.

The pony immediately calmed down, and after link opened the door, Link approached her, and she seemed to enjoy being around him. She had no reigns, but he could make do without them, and led her to the stable doors, and opened them enough so she could go through, and he followed her, and closed the door behind them. Being careful, Link mounted the young pony, and was glad that he wasn't bucked off of her, making him sigh in relief.

"Let's go, Epona…" He whispered into her ear, and as if she understood, she began to navigate her way out of the ranch, and once out, Link took out his map, but it had already gotten dark. Since he had completely forgotten about Navi, who was once fast asleep in his cap, was now wide awake since he needed her. She gave off a nice light, and that allowed him to see the map much more clearly.

"So, we're here…" Link muttered, lightly pointing at the map, and with the help of Navi's blue glow, he was able to locate Kakariko Village, which was due west from his current location, across the Kakariko Gorge. "And where we need to go is around here…" He explained, pointing a little further west at Death Mountain. He pulled out the note that Zelda had given him, examining what it said, before putting it away again.

"Alright Epona, let's go…" He whispered, and with a small neigh from the pony, she took off in a normal gallop heading west, after Link had put away the map. He used both his hand to keep a decent hold on her, and Navi started to fly behind them, trying to keep up. Link had almost lost his cap a few times on the trip, so what he did with it was that he placed the cap in his hold so it wouldn't go anywhere, revealing his messy blond hair.

* * *

The ride had turned out to be shorter than expected, even if Epona was only a pony. Link entered the canyon that led to Kakariko Village, and once there, he saw it wasn't as lively as it was compared to one of his dreams, but still had quite a few people there, nonetheless. Upon entering, two young children approached him and Epona, but they kept a bit of distance between them and the pony, not wanting the rider to be bucked off. They asked him several questions, like where did he come from, why he was dressed like that, and why did he have a fairy fly around him. But it wasn't long before their mother called them to return, that supper was done.

Upon hearing the word, "dinner", Link heard his stomach growl, realizing he hadn't had a decent meal since the Ranch two days ago. "Right, I can't get a lot done if I don't eat…" He muttered, partially to himself, and partially to Navi, and was surprised when a very small sound came from her, and heard her agree with him. So, what he had to do for the moment was to put food first before he would attempt to climb Death Mountain. It took him a moment before he took notice of the inn, and since he still had Talon's red rupees, he might be able to get a decent meal for both him and Navi, though he knew it wouldn't need much to satisfy her.

Link rode Epona to the side of the inn, and thankfully, there were some ropes there, so he tried his best to tie Epona to the fence area, before climbing off of her. "I'll be right back girl, don't worry…" he whispered to her, and though he didn't see her nod in the night, Link walked up the slope to the doors, and stepped in after opening them. Almost right away he had to move away from the door when someone walked out, or rather, something rather large that appeared to be a golem at first sight. Link knew it wasn't dangerous, regardless of its size since they were in a village and all.

Link walked over to a table, Navi flying close behind and stood in front of Link on his side, giving out a sigh. She still didn't look too happy since the Deku Tree's passing, but Link knew they had other matters to deal with. "Don't worry Navi; when I obtain the Triforce, I'll wish that Gannondorf never existed, the Deku Tree to be resurrected, and that Hyrule will be a peaceful place… But there are some things I'd also like to know about that I'm sure that not even the Triforce could grant… At this point, I'm having doubts that I'm not who I've grown up knowing to be…" He explained to her in a whisper, closing his eyes, and he saw her expression.

She shook her head, before saying, "Don't worry about it, Link… Even if you're not what you grew up believing, you're still you, right?" She flew up to him, and landed on the top of his head and his hair, which he forgot to put the cap on. He shrugged a little, knowing that the cap wasn't always necessary, he supposed. He also agreed with her; no matter what race her was, or what kind of person he was, he was always himself.

He smiled up at her, before the waitress came, and asked to take his order, not even noticing Navi at first…

* * *

Once well fed, Link had stepped outside the inn, giving one last word of thanks before sighing softly. He headed over to where Epona was, and saw her bent over, having a drink from the container under where she was tied up. He sat on the railing for a moment, Navi flying close around him while Epona drank. He didn't notice, however, he was being watched from two different places; one of them was a robed-man on a horse in the distance, and the other was from a rooftop a ways away, unaware of the dark gaze aimed at him from the man he hated. He pulled out the ocarina Zelda had given him, and began to play it softly, remembering a tune that Saria seemed to enjoy playing.

* * *

The robed man was really Christian, trying to keep a low profile from the public. Though he wasn't ordered to come to the Kakariko region, he was aware that Link came here. He actually did take notice of the lad in front of a window near the inn, and saw his fairy partner flying by him, before he began to play an instrument of sorts, an ocarina, it seemed. He reached for a part of a necklace that he had hidden under the robe, and opened the locket that contained a picture of him, his wife, and his only son.

'_Could this be the same Link… I lost nine years ago when my wife had perished…? I told her to head for the forest since she would be safe, but a knight informed me that she was mortally wounded by Gerudos on the way there… Perhaps she survived long enough, and managed to have him be watched over for nine years… But… I don't know what I should do; Link believes that he's really a Kokiri, and I don't wish to disappoint him… Perhaps… I should just let time move on, and he might figure it out on his own that he's not who he thinks he is…_' Christian thought to himself, closing the locket and hid it once more, and turned to a pouch to look at the blue ocarina in which Zelda told him to protect with a graved shape of the Triforce near the mouth piece; this was the Ocarina of Time.

He wanted to make sure who he thought was one who was once close to him was safe. He looked like he was in good condition, but still, he was informed by Zelda that Link might not have had time to stop by the Bazaar to obtain a specially forged shield to withstand the flames of Death Mountain. The shield was actually on his back, along with a small note on the inside, explaining about what he inside of Death Mountain was like. When Link seemed to be talking with his fairy friend after playing, Christian decided he would make his move, and keeping the hood hidden over his face, he passed by the front of the inn, purposely dropping the shield while pretending that he never noticed it slip off, but keeping the Ocarina out of sight of anyone.

* * *

Link wasn't paying attention when the robed figure rode by on the horse, but was surprised when he heard something collide with the dirt. He looked up and saw what seemed like a shield in the dirt, and Link was about to tell the man that he forgot something, they were gone. Link looked back to the shield, and when Navi came into view, he saw the note, which he took from it and read over it.

The shield wasn't as light compared to his Deku Shield, but he was just barely able to hold it up with his right hand like a shield should be. He looked at the design, and it looked almost similar to what Christian had, but it was simpler compared to Christian's. Navi examined it, and though she glowed yellow a bit to show she had a problem with it, Link took it and set it on his back, having it overlap his Deku Shield. Apparently, the note explained that the shield was more formerly known as the Hylian Shield, which was something the Knights of Hyrule used in combat situations.

"Well, that was really nice of that man; the next time I see him, I'll be sure to thank him for this shield." He spoke to Navi, placing the shield on his back, and by doing that, his entire back and parts of his legs were covered by the shield. He knew that he can't use both it and his sword at the same time, and since he was heading up to Death Mountain anyways, it would just be best he left that shield as it was on his back; that way he could have an extra hand free if he needed it.

But, due to the fact it was night now, it would be best he waited until morning to press on, but then again, if he procrastinates, Gannondorf is only going to become closer to his goal; obtaining the Triforce. Link swore he wouldn't dare let the dark man step close to the Triforce if he could help it. "Navi, let's go; Epona will be safe here in town, since she is but a pony after all, or rather…" He stopped, wondering if Epona could remember the way back home.

When he approached her slowly, she saw him, but she didn't back off, since he had managed to tame her with the song Malon taught him. He gently placed his hand on her muzzle, petting her carefully, and asked her that very question. As if understanding, she pressed her hoof against the ground once, as if showing him that was a yes. He smiled, and untied her ropes, and led her to the Kakariko entrance. Once they were out of the canyon, Link looked at Epona once more, and with a light push, the pony began to dash towards the ranch, following the path.

Once done, Link re-entered the village and continued further from the inn, passing by a few homes, a shaman's hut, a bomb and other utility store (2), all the way to the canyon towards the Death Mountain. And like Zelda told him, there was a guard there, but he was dozing off a little bit, leaning against his spear to remain upright. Link approached him, and he didn't stir, so Link did the only thing he could really do, so he shook him a bit, and heard him grumble a little. When he finally awoke, he stretched a little and gave out a yawn.

"Hmmm… why did you have to wake me kid; if you want to head up the mountain, you're out of luck. Unless you have permission by a Royal Family member, I cannot let you pass beyond this point-" Upon those last few words, Link reached into his pouch and pulled out the note which Zelda had given him, and after the man examined it, he said, "Hmmm, this is surely Zelda's handwriting…" Navi was hovering close to him so he was able to read it in the darkness of night.

After a moment, Link raised an eyebrow when the man gave a light snort, before bursting out in laughter. Either the man didn't believe him, or Zelda must've put some kind of joke on the paper that somehow, Link couldn't understand. "What is our princess up to now… Anyways, now that you happened to have permission, I suppose I could let you through; you seemed prepared anyways, so you should do fine, though…" The man spoke, immediately unlocking the gate with a set of keys he had, and opened it.

"If you happen to return to Castle Town; that is if you ever do happen to return there… No, I'm not asking you this because of the compliment I gave you, kid, but rather… There's a shop in Castle Town that just opened up, according to townspeople who recently visited there. It's a mask shop, and my son wants me to go there sometime and get him a mask of a really popular character, but… This is my station, and I cannot go anywhere…" The man spoke, before giving out a sigh, before going silent again. Link couldn't help but feel sorry for the man a little, and with a nod, he turned to head up the trail, climbing the one ladder before pressing on.

* * *

He wasn't paying attention to his footing, and when a geyser erupted at his foot, the steaming hot water came in contact with his leg, and Link could help but yelp out in pain. He had climbed a ways up already when this occurred, and without realizing, he tripped over some kind of plant-thing. It didn't move out of place at all, and, since he was a little pissed, Link used all strength he had to pull the plant out of the ground, but when he pulled it with enough strength, he was pushed back, with the plant-thing hitting his stomach a little.

Yet, something about it wasn't right; the plant had… a fuse? Navi immediately recognized the plant did smell of black-powder, a little, and now she knew what it was. "Link, that's a bomb! Get rid of it!" She yelled, and when Link heard that, he tossed it, accidentally throwing it down the trail. But he crouched and turned his back towards the bomb, knowing the shield would take the blow. Once he heard an explosion, he heard the sound of crumbling rocks, and when he looked down, he saw the opening to a cave of sorts.

"Oops…" He spoke softly, hoping that he didn't do that, but something told him he should examine what was inside. Getting a grip, he took his sword in hand, and cautiously stepped into the dark cavern, breathing returned to normal after the incident with the bomb. Navi did give off a little light, and it did help a little, so he could see a few feet in front of him. Without paying much mind to what was in front of him, he tripped over what seemed like a rock at first glance. Link groaned, and when he stood up, he turned around to see another one of the things he saw earlier from the inn.

He didn't know that it was a Goron, a species that Zelda had mentioned to him lived in the area. But it seemed a bit smaller than the one he saw in town, it was more his size, but even so, it looked far stronger than he was. The creature looked at him, and with Navi's light, he saw that it was clutching something, a bag of sorts. "Hm? Why is a human in our mountainous area, and in such a dangerous place like the Dodongo's Cavern?" It asked him, in a deep, grunted voice.

Link was a little shaky, but after calming down a little, he regained a little composure, before saying, "I came here, searching for the Spiritual Stone of Fire to aid me in a quest to save Hyrule…" The Goron looked at him, setting the bag down for a moment, and checked to make sure the boy wasn't lying.

"For a young one, you have courage, and have good timing too. You see, our leader, Darunia, is willing to give the Goron's Ruby, or the Spiritual Stone of Fire as you call it, to the one who clears this cavern of the great beast that lurks within. However, I've been here for too long, goro… And though I would love to taste that stone, I cannot force myself any further than this." It spoke, Link not exactly certain if it was male or female. But it was then the Goron took the bag and handed it to Link, taking Link guard a little, and he culd smell more black-powder.

"So you should go in Goro's place, goro… Goro being me, if you must know…" it spoke, introducing itself, and before Link could ask what this beast was, the Goron curled up in a ball, and began to roll away rather quickly. He thought that they all walked, moving at a slow pace, but it would seem they have a speed advantage as well that seemed to be overlooked.

Link, looking at the bag, looked inside and saw a number of bombs, however, none of their fuses were lit, so he sighed in relief. But he did see something that did light the fuse in there, and placed that in his pocket; both pieces being flint. He gulped a little, and pressed onwards down the intertwining tunnels. However, it wasn't long before he approached a dead-end, yet something came to his ears.

As the bubbling of boiling lava could be heard from the crack in the ground, Link could only walk forward. Not wanting to fall if the crack was unstable, he set the fuse on one of his newly acquired bombs before setting it near the crack. Backing up a few feet, Link waited with his shield up for the large explosion caused by the small bombs. After a while, shrapnel flew every which way, however none of it was able to pierce his shield as the explosion was let off.

Link walked up to the new hole in the ground, looking down. He saw a dirt path, and the heat within the moist cavern just seemed to increase severely. Wanting this to be done and over with, Link jumped down the hole, the fall larger than he expected. Luckily, the ground was soft to cushion his fall, but Link couldn't help but feel that he wasn't alone here with Navi.

The ground shook as a faint roar came from behind him. Link, turning around hurriedly, saw…

* * *

Author's notes:

Preview for Chapter 8: King Dodongo Battle

_Link watched as the large beast, slow as it was, prepare for one of its flame attacks. Link, without really remembering the note given to him, pulled out his Deku Shield and prepared to block the attack. However, when the fire came at him, Link winced greatly at the burns that the flames caused, and watched the edges of the shield catch fire, forcing him to let go of it._

_Link watched as the beast looked at him, and without warning, it curled up into a large back, and Link couldn't think of anything except to curl up into his own ball, the Hylian shield still on his back. When the creature rolled at him, however, the most that happened to him was minor bruising as well as being pushed to away from the lava pit that rested beside him._

_The creature rolled by him, remaining on the dirt path, and after one corner, the creature hit the wall, and uncurled, but turned around, slowly approaching. Navi seemed to understand the way it fought, and figured out how to defeat the beast. "Link, when it opens its mouth, toss one of those plant-bombs into it, and perhaps it might become stunned after ingesting it?" She suggested, and Link, having lost the time needed to set the fuse on one of his own bombs, he attempted to lift one of the flowers like before. But the creature was already preparing to breathe fire at him, and if Link didn't hurry, he would be burned to a crisp…_

* * *

Anyways, please R&R. (Also, I apologize for the long wait, because I had a case of Writer's Block, so ya… x_x)

1- I might make a bonus chapter on how Link fares with farm life, depending on your reviews, of course…

2- Like I mentioned before, I'm using the TP map for this fan fiction, so no doubt that I'd forget to put those in as well. However, since I'm following a set time-line, the characters who were once in those buildings don't exactly exist in the OoT world…


	8. King Dodongo Battle

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything from Nintendo, such as the characters, plots and the many other settings. I'm just a fan of most of their work and, I quite enjoy some the games.

_Reviews: Lol4dead: _Thanks for that. ^_^ To be at all honest, though, I just thought that because Link's parents were never truly mentioned (and never involved) in the games. And since they weren't really seen, I guess they can be considered as OCs in a way, since they don't have any proper appearances either, at least in the game…

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Chapter 8:** King Dodongo Battle

Link didn't know how in Hyrule this creature ended up being inside the depths of this cave, feeding off rocks, or it seemed. The creature was what seemed like a dinosaur of sorts, or so it looked like, anyways; its large black, near solid colored eyes save for a little green, looked rather intimidating, setting aside the size. From the way it looked, the creature must've been dozens of meters long, and about nine meters wide.

Link watched as the large beast took a step towards him, and let out an ear-splitting roar up to the ceiling. A few stones fell, some falling into the lava, and disappearing from sight. Link had his sword out, but he made the mistake of taking his Deku shield out as well. The shield, made of dried wood, was more or less a fire hazard waiting to happen, and he didn't expect that this creature would breathe fire.

However, what the creature began to inhale, Link had hardly any time to roll out of the way of the flames that were aimed at him. However, the creature didn't want to stop there; it stepped forward a few more times, trying to crush Link under its large feet, but failed as Link jumped back to avoid such things to occur.

Link watched as the large beast, slow as it was, prepare for one of its flame attacks. Link, without really remembering the note given to him, pulled out his Deku Shield and prepared to block the attack. However, when the fire came at him, Link winced greatly at the burns that the flames caused, and watched the edges of the shield catch fire, forcing him to let go of it.

Link watched as the beast looked at him, and without warning, it curled up into a large back, and Link couldn't think of anything except to curl up into his own ball, the Hylian shield still on his back. When the creature rolled at him, however, the most that happened to him was minor bruising as well as being pushed to away from the lava pit that rested beside him.

The creature rolled by him, remaining on the dirt path, and after one corner, the creature hit the wall, and uncurled, but turned around, slowly approaching. Navi seemed to understand the way it fought, and figured out how to defeat the beast. "Link, when it opens its mouth, toss one of those plant-bombs into it, and perhaps it might become stunned after ingesting it?" She suggested, and Link, having lost the time needed to set the fuse on one of his own bombs, he attempted to lift one of the flowers like before. But the creature was already preparing to breathe fire at him, and if Link didn't hurry, he would be burned to a crisp.

"Link, hurry up! You'll die if you don't…" Navi told him, concerned for the boy she was supposed to look after. At that moment, Link had managed to pluck the bomb out of place, however, his grip on it wasn't as good as it was before, and flew over his head. Link thought he was screwed, but it was at that moment the sound of inhaling stopped, and the sound of and explosion was let out, before a collapsing beast. When Link turned around, he saw, lying there stunned as Navi expected, was the beast. It was breathing abnormally, not expecting what had just happened to it. Link, taking advantage of this, unsheathed his sword, and brought his sword to attempt to stab its forehead.

However, the attack itself was useless against the creature's skull, at least the first blow was, which knocked off a few tough-as-rock scales. However, it seemed to take it as pain, and some exposed flesh was there now. But before Link could get in another blow, the creature was back on its four feet, and curled up in a ball, hoping to crush the boy, but the same thing occurred; Link curled into a ball, and taking a few bruises, Link was pushed out of the way.

However, Link recovered quicker than before, and ran behind the creature, up until it collided with the wall. Link avoided the tail that hit the ground, but he ran up it, hearing the creature roar out, and began to lash out, trying to knock him off. Link was having a hard time keeping his balance, but he had taken a bomb out, and had managed to light its fuse. When the creature roared in anger, Link threw the bomb into its mouth.

"Why don't you eat on this, big guy?" He yelled, and the roar ceased, and after Link leapt off it, the bomb exploded in the beast's throat, and it collapsed once more. However, instead of taking his sword out, Link reached for a long branch he found after facing a Deku Baba back in Kokiri Forest, and wondered if he's be able to knock the scales off with it. Link swung the branch, and upon contact, a few more scales fell, but not as much as his sword, and the branch itself broke upon contact.

The beast didn't seem to feel it too much, but it angered it a little, and with a swat of its front leg, Link was taken aback and was knocked to the side, hitting a bomb-plant, but unable to move it, yet the vines were a little weakened. Link gasped at the pain that shot through his veins, and wanted to yell out, but he grit his teeth. But he knew that if he was hit with another blow like that, or its flame attack came in contact with him, he was as good as gone.

"Link, get up! The beast is-" Navi managed, before the creature's roar made the ear-slitting sound again, before the sound of inhalement started. Link struggled to get up, trying to keep his balance, and he saw the bomb-plant. Not wanting to take any chances, Link had managed to make a fast pull, and upon being pulled, the fuse started, and Link gave it a toss as hard as he could. Thankfully, the toss made it far enough, right as a few embers started to escape the beast's mouth.

When the bomb exploded, the creature fell once more, and Link could hear it didn't want to do this for much longer. Link knew that he'd be able to finish this with one well aimed strike. With his remaining energy, Link grasped his sword, and climbing onto the beast's head, it let out a weakened roar. "Good night, and go back to sleep…" Link told it, taking his sword with both hands, and thrust it into the creature's head, hearing it roar out in utter pain. Blood pulsed out of the wound, but when it shook, Link removed the blade and jumped off, rolling to the side to watch the beast.

It curled into a ball, and it began to roll, however, it was more along the lines of wobbling than anything, and it almost fell in the lava once, but after moving around the corner, it rammed the wall and bounced back… right into the lava. It attempted to escape, and Link heard it roar in pain, however, its skin, scales, everything began to turn to ashes, and its claws were breaking off. Its eyes turned to a complete, solidified black, to show its life was taken. Link was breathing deeply, and after shaking his sword free of the creature's blood, he sheathed the sword once again. He noticed that the lava had turned into a solid ground, and had cooled down so he could stand on it properly.

And, right next to the beast's remains was what appeared to be a portal of sorts, awakened by the death of the beast, it seemed. Link, a little bloodied, burned, and bruised, managed to make his way to the portal. Upon stepping into the light, Link closed his eyes, and felt the landscape around him become something else. The light and gentle breeze of wind came to him, after a while being down there, and noticed that it was bright outside, forgetting how long he was inside the cavern. He opened his eyes, and found himself further up the mountain, right near a cliff, and a built area.

Link didn't notice the shadow that was above him, and when he did, he leapt out of the way, right before he was crushed by what seemed like a boulder. But the thing was, it wasn't a boulder; when it uncurled, it revealed another Goron, however, his whole body is completely different, especially the hair. In his hand was what appeared to be the spiritual stone that Link was looking for, but Link knew he shouldn't take things from people; besides, he knew he would be rewarded with it for killing that beast.

However, this Goron seemed to be a little amazed that a child was able to kill a beast that the Gorons had trouble finding. Link could tell that this Goron was at least three times his size, and would easily push him around. And frankly, the Goron brought their arm around, and patted (actually smacked in Link's case) Link on the back, knocking the boy down.

Link let out a low grunt when his already battered body came in contact with the ground, yet he just wanted to pass out right there. And feeling the ground quake, what sounded like more Gorons made their appearance, and Link heard them talk amongst themselves in a language he couldn't understand too well. And when Link finally decided to get up on his knees, the Goron brought the other hand out, and held out the Spiritual Stone to the lad. The moment Link touched the stone, the Goron took his free, slightly cut hand and grasped (more like almost crush) it with his own hand being cut. Link didn't understand too much what was going on, however, all he knew was that he had what he came here for.

At that same moment, Goro, the same Goron which he had encountered in the cave, was there. He seemed to know Link's language a bit better than the others. "You have just made a pact with our Big Brother and Patriarch, Darunia, and you two are now blood brothers. And because you cleared out the caves, goro, he was willing to pass the Goron's Ruby to you to show you his friendship. He is also impressed by your courage, and though you are young now, he will be looking forward to the future when you're older, stronger, and braver so he could challenge you to a sumo match." Goro explained, and though Link didn't exactly understand, he just couldn't help but nod.

Darunia let out a few grunts and other sounds of his language, and the Gorons right away began to walk towards him, arms spread wide. "Err, considering your size, you might want to run; Darunia just asked the group to give you a big Goron hug…" Goro explained, and Link knew that he'd be crushed even further if that happens, so with a newly found adrenaline rush, Link began to dash in the direction towards the bottom of the mountain, while Goro seemed to explain something to Darunia, and eventually, the Gorons did stop following him.

* * *

Rather short, that chapter, and I apologize for that… I promise the next one will be a little longer. Anyways, please R&R.


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